Tour De France 2023Stage 18: Kasper Asgreen's Stage 18 victory from a breakaway upsets sprinters, causing major upset
Posted : 21 July 2023
In a surprising turn of events at the Tour de France, a four-man breakaway managed to defy the odds and hold off the peloton in Stage 18 to Bourg-en-Bresse, denying the sprinters a chance to compete for the win.
Denmark's Kasper Asgreen emerged as the victor, with fellow escapee Victor Campenaerts playing a crucial role in their success by delivering a powerful pull on the home straight as the peloton closed in.
Pascal Eenkhoorn, a late addition to the breakaway, fought alongside Asgreen but settled for second place ahead of Norway's Jonas Abrahamsen, while Campenaerts was caught by the chasing pack.
Despite the strong efforts of green jersey holder Jasper Philipsen, he could only secure fourth place, falling short of his fifth stage win aspirations after the challenging Alpine stages.
Earlier in the race, Philipsen displayed some aggressive tactics, blocking Eenkhoorn's attempt to bridge over to the breakaway during the climbs. However, the breakaway trio's advantage hovered around 30 seconds, and eventually, Eenkhoorn succeeded in making it over with the support of his teammate Campenaerts.
The breakaway riders worked well together, maintaining a comfortable lead, and Campenaerts expressed his belief that the peloton didn't handle the situation wisely by allowing the gap to remain around one minute for most of the stage.
Although they managed to stay out in front, Campenaerts admitted they fell short of victory, with the final moments of the stage proving to be challenging, and he described experiencing cramps during the intense finale.
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