Egan Bernal was the one indicated in the team Ineos to seek the victory of the third stage and the leadership of the Route of Occitania and it did not fail.
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The Colombian won the match between Saint-Gaudens and Col de Beyrède, 163 kilometers, confirmed his great state of form and ‘knocking on the door’ with a view to the Tour de France (August 29 to September 20).
(You may be interested in: Awesome! Egan won the stage and is a leader in the Ruta de Occitania)
Nothing unusual has happened in Occitania, because Bernal was the main candidate for victory in the difficult day of four mountain awards, one third and three first, the last of them at the finish.
Of course, there was an unknown factor: knowing how the riders with the Tour are at this time of the year less than a month and after the suspension of the season due to the outbreak of the new coronavirus.
Ineos did a perfect job and its leader finished off as he knows how to do it, in an impressive way, with a strong step with which he left behind his most dangerous rivals, who did not oppose the resistance that was thought.
Egan Bernal He showed that he is with his mind set on the Tour, that he is going to defend that title that he achieved last year and that he has all the machinery of his squad to meet that objective.
Relentless work
What happened in Occitania shows that Ineos wants to win at all costs and that he does not mind having one, two or three leaders, because the collective is above personal interests.
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Chris Froome He came to the race to prove himself, and yesterday was a key day for that. The four-time Tour de France champion was seen working hard, leading the group to seek to cut the difference to the flight that was hatched almost from the beginning of the stage and in which the Colombian was Harold Tejada (Astana) y Benoit Cosnefroy, Julien Bernard, Georg Zimmermann, Matthieu Ladagnous, Lilian Calmejane, Joan Bou y Julien Trarieux.
I just want to increase my form step by step to be ready for the Tour de France. I have to thank more than one teammate, Chris Froome, who did an amazing job
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The teamwork was so perfect that Egan himself thanked him. “I just want to increase my form step by step to be ready for the Tour de France. I have to thank more than one teammate, Chris Froome, who did an amazing job; for me the team was perfect ”, he pointed out.
The difference of the escaped with the group came to exceed five minutes, but Ineos took over the lot, gave way.
Bernal took it upon himself to put his gregarious to work, among them Froome, to cut the difference and in the end it was achieved.
When the day was ten kilometers from the finish line, the escape was history and from there upwards, when the last mountain prize of 10.2 kilometers in length began to climb, the Bernal bits and his companions made others suffer.
The leader, Bryan Coquard, stayed on the first climbs, when the climbers put conditions and from there to back, the rest. Bernal had in Pavel Sivakov, another young man from Ineos (23 years old), his trusted man, who put a hard step on the climb. And when it was his turn, the Colombian did not hesitate and left Thibaut Pinot, Richie Porte, Romain Bardet, Warren Barguil and Bauke Mollema, who also wanted victory.
No problem
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Egan Bernal and his coup de vitoria.
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With all that tactical handling of the day yesterday, it is not difficult to think that Bernal has the title in his pocket. And it is because Ineos laid out a plan to win the day and put Egan as the leader and today he will do the same to defend the first place. Today’s will be a control fraction.
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In addition to the above, Egan has in favor that although nobody can be neglected, the altimetry of the fraction does not have great difficulties. There will be 195 kilometers that will unite Lectoure and Rocamadour, with two third category mountain awards far from the finish line and which should not be disturbing at all the interests of the British squad.
Although what happens in Occitania must be taken into account, there is nothing definitive for the Tour. It cannot be said that Bernal already won it, that Pinot, Bardet, Froome and the Colombian Miguel Ángel López lost it, but without a doubt that Egan gives a hand blow and warns for the French test. Of the strong rivals, the closest is Alexander Vlasov, at 23 seconds, as Sivakov, second at 14 s, will be at Bernal’s service. Pinot is further back, 41 s, and Mollema yields 1 min 45 s, so although you cannot claim victory, Colombian cycling is 195 kilometers from celebrating another victory in a general, this time with Egan Bernal, who makes his first race of the year in Europe.
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This Tuesday, before the start of the stage, A tribute will be paid to Nicolás Portal, DT of Ineos, who died in March, Bernal’s trusted man, For those who compete in a competition near the home of their coach, without a doubt, it was one more plus to obtain the victory that will fill him with confidence.
LYSANDER RENGIFO
Editor of EL TIEMPO
@LisandroAbel
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