August 31, 2020

Tour de France Stage 3 recap: A sprinting masterclass, and a requiem for Anthony Perez (PLUS previewing the first mountain finish)

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Stage 3 was the first Week 1 stage to feel like a Week 1 stage. There were French breakaway artists at the front dueling for scraps of King of the Mountains points. There was a large peloton behind them, happy to give the break have a little leash while they pedaled relatively easily.

Then there was a good, old fashioned bunch sprint. After the trains broken apart, Caleb Ewan squeezed between Peter Sagan's right shoulder and the barrier, then swung to accelerate past Sam Bennett's left wing to win the stage win by a bike length. The diminutive sprinter proved once again that there are few people in the world who can match him in either power or guile, much less both.

Just watch this pass.

But even on a day designed for the sprinters, the polka dot jersey was the story.

God speed, Anthony Perez

The breakaway was made up of three riders: Perez of Cofidis, Jerome Cousin of Total Direct Energie and Benoit Cosnefroy of AG2R La Mondiale, the King of the Mountains entering the day. Perez and Cosnefroy reignited a duel for the modest summits that began the day before, and Perez was the stronger rider, taking the first two Category 3 climbs to become the new polka dot jersey wearer ... assuming he finished the stage.

Sadly, you probably know what's coming next. In a span of a few kilometers, Perez suffered a puncture near the top of the Col des Lèques, then crashed on the descent after reportedly colliding with his own team car. He broke his collarbone, and is now out of the Tour de France.

Perez isn't a big name rider, but he had his own ambitions for this Tour, and he was well on his way to making his mark. He had been a game climber for two straight days, and Stage 4's mountain top finish could have been a triumph for the 29-year-old if he managed to keep the jersey. He had been on a solid run of form this year, too, winning a stage in February's Tour du Haut Var.

Wearing the polka dot jersey would have no doubt been one of Perez's career thrills, even if it might have slipped our memories in a week or two. So much focus on the biggest prizes obscures the many smaller worlds that riders occupy on the road, out of view of the Tour's primary focus. Though it won't mean much to the final standings, a day like Monday can be devastating for a rider like Perez.

So God speed Anthony Perez, and also Benoit Cosnefroy for fighting to hold on to polka dots for one more day, and Jerome Cousin for going solo and spending 182 kilometers in the break or outright lead.

God speed everyone who attempts this maniacal race. I hope you get out of it more than you give.

Other damage?

Thankfully quiet. Jumbo-Visma's Wout van Aert crashed in the closing kilometers, but appeared to get up and finish the stage OK (though he might have had a say in the sprint if he stayed upright). Cosnefroy also fell when he hammered on the brakes after seeing Van Aert crash ahead. He too finished the stage.

Fun things?

Just A LOT of pornographic scenery.

https://twitter.com/TourDeJose/status/1300416041953234950

Also a torrential rain storm that didn't ruin everything for once.

And screw it, watch that Caleb Ewan sprint again.

The standings

STAGE 3

1. Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal) - 5hr 17min 42sec
2. Sam Bennett (Deceuninck-Quick Step) - “
3. Giacomo Nizzolo (NTT) - "
4. Hugo Hofstetter (Israel Start-Up Nation) - "
5. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) - “
6. Edward Theuns (Trek-Segafredo) - “
7. Cees Bol (Sunweb) - “
8. Matteo Trentin (CCC) - “
9. Bryan Coquard (B&B Hotels-Vital Concept) - “
10. Niccolo Bonifazio (Total Direct Energie) - “

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) — 13hr 59min 17sec
2. Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) — +4sec
3. Marc Hirschi (Sunweb) — +7sec
4. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) — +17sec
5. Davide Formolo (UAE Team Emirates) — +17sec
6. Egan Bernal (Ineos) — +17sec
7. Tom Dumoulin (Jumbo-Visma) — +17sec
8. Sergio Higuita (Education First) — +17sec
9. Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) — +17sec
10. Esteban Chaves (Mitchelton-Scott) — +17sec

GREEN JERSEY

1. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) — 79 points
2. Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates) — 77
3. Sam Bennett (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) — 74
4. Matteo Trentin (CCC) — 54
5. Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal) — 50

POLKA DOT JERSEY

1. Benoit Cosnefroy (AG2R La Mondiale) — 21 points
2. Michael Gogl (NTT) — 12
3. Kasper Asgreen (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) — 6
4. Toms Skujins (Trek-Segafredo) — 6
5. Nicolas Roche (Sunweb) - 5

Stage 4 preview - 160.5km from Sisteron to Orcières-Merlette

Stage 4 will begin at 1:30 p.m. local, 7:30 a.m. ET. For those watching from the United States, coverage will begin at 7:30 a.m. on NBCSN. (Here’s NBC’s complete broadcast schedule).

Don’t get that channel? You’ll need to pay, sadly. I really like the NBC Sports Gold Cycling Pass, which gives you a commercial-free stream as well as some handy race-tracking whatzits. The much cheaper option, however, is Peacock Premium, which costs $4.99 per month and will reportedly get you access to live coverage of every stage, though presumably with ads and without the whatzits.

If you can’t watch live and want access to replays, it appears Gold is your only way to go.

Just four stages in and we come to our first mountain top finish. After 145 kilometers of some not too serious hills, the day ends on a stead-but-mighty Category 1 climb up to Orcières-Merlette.

That climb probably isn't extreme enough to make a Tour-defining move; Jumbo-Visma have looked plenty strong enough to chase down anyone who might get too feisty. Unless one of their guys goes, I'm not sure anyone can take more than a few seconds.

Then again, if the competition for the yellow jersey really is as wide open as we've all been proclaiming, then those few seconds could make all the difference. And at the very least, the stage should be a revealing glimpse into the GC riders' form.

Knowing Julian Alaphilippe, he will defend the yellow jersey with his life. The stage profile is well suited to his skillset, too, though he'll hardly be sneaking up on anyone if he's planning an attack. (Then again, that's never stopped him from trying -- and winning! -- in the past).

Also keep an eye on Primoz Roglic, Sergio Higuita, Davide Formolo and any other rider on the punchier end of the climber spectrum.

Conversely, keep an eye out for cracks. Thibaut Pinot and Miguel Angel Lopez have both taken hard tumbles through the first three stages. Will they be able to keep pace?

The weather is clear (thank goodness) so at least nonsense levels should be tamped down. Enjoy some Orcières-Merlette specialties like flower jam, beer and goat cheese before the final climb, then batten down for a firecracker finish.