this post was submitted on 08 May 2025
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That was it. Almost.
Pedersen and 2 other guys rode 45 km like maniacs, until the first intermediate sprint, with a gap oscillating between 10 and 25 seconds, depending on the never-ending counter-attacks.
Still no definitive breakaway. Nobody managed to leave in the first climb either.
I was outside so I didn't see it, but the breakaway of the day left in the next flat/hilly transition, including Bardet and Fortunato.
As soon as the main climb started, all French teams (Cofidis, FDJ) riders were all dropped, except Prodhomme for Decathlon ๐
While Rochas from FDJ totally imploded, most Cofidis riders never dropped farther than 25 seconds, and with help of Vendrame could catch up with the first part of the breakaway near the summit.
At the summit (1^st^ cat., 40 pts to the winner!), Bardet launched the sprint relatively early, but was beaten by Fortunato who was the only rider who tried to follow Bardet. Tarozzi (Bardiani) avoided those efforts by simply passing ahead of the group to grab the points for the 3^rd^ place.
Real nice stage with fights from A to almost Z. That's the kind of stages I was talking about before the tour started, where, despite (almost) zero GC fight, there is some action along almost the whole stage.
It wasn't one of those breakaways which remain grouped most of the stage. No, there were plenty of attacks and splits.
Impressive Plapp (๐ฆ๐บ Jayco). Hardworking Ulissi (๐ฎ๐น Astana) and Kelderman (๐ณ๐ฑ Visma).
Bardet๐ซ๐ท's level is embarrassing. In order to win something, he would need to be in a breakaway on a mountain stage, a breakaway with zero climber... (and that no GC rider wishes to win the stage).
Gaudu๐ซ๐ท didn't look too bad. Of course the main climb was climbed slowly, but in the last little bump before the finish, which separated the peloton, he remained in the first group of 30 riders.