Holy moly! WHAT a mind boggling day of racing on Stage 10 of the Tour de France. It started with the EF Education-Easypost bus getting stuck and ended with EF Pinkies mountain supremo, Magnus Cort, pipping Nick Schultz (Bike-Exchage-Jacvo) in a breathless sprint at Megeve. In between we had a swathe of positive covid tests, the mother of all battles to get the break of the day away, Lennard Kamna (BORA-hangrohe) moving to second on GC after it appeared race leader Tadej Pogacar didn’t want to let the yellow jersey go after all, oh – and a protest by climate change activists that held the race up for several minutes. The day after rest day is NEVER short on drama!
148km, three categorised climbs before the Cat 2 finish at Megeve – a day made for a breakaway and EVERYONE knew it.
Stage 10. It must've been hard to find a soft route, without any big mountains between Morzine and Megeve but ASO did it! 👍🙈 The GC favourites await Granon and Alpe d'Huez so this should be a day for the breakaway. My picks: Mollema, Konrad and Lutsenko. #TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/wEUIWOS5Dh
— Mihai Simion (@faustocoppi60) July 12, 2022
It took 65km of constant attacking before a 25 man breakaway made it. I’m pretty sure I could hear the weeping of gratitude from the beleaguered riders at the back of the peloton. Here’s my notes from the chaos:
Getting into the break was HORRENDOUS, feel for the guys trying to make it, and those struggling to stay in the peloton.
Surely something has to give, the longer this battle goes on, the more the GC guys will think they have a chance at a stage win. Turns out to be a day a lot LOT harder than pundits, fans and the racers themselves expected
Adam Blythe asking ‘what is going on at this TDF?’ echoing everyone right now.
Breakaway formed ✅
After 65km of full-gas racing @andreaslek has made it into the break of 25 riders for the team, which currently leads the peloton by 1'49".⏱ #TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/aKqP9geTUL
— Team DSM (@TeamDSM) July 12, 2022
The humongous break-of-the-day, with Kamna the closest on GC at 8:43 mins.
#TDF2022 / L’échappée est partie ! Beaucoup de coureurs à l’avant. #LesRP pic.twitter.com/852Xqq1TBf
— Renaud Breban (@RenaudB31) July 12, 2022
There were attacks a-plenty from the break with Pierre Rolland (YES! B&B Hotels!) starting his challenge for the polka pox.
🔴⚪ La saison de la chasse aux pois est officiellement ouverte.
📸 @FRJ_Studio#MenInGlaz I #TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/hXtjTKgy27
— B&B HOTELS – KTM (@BBHOTELS_KTM) July 12, 2022
With around 45km to go and lead of seven minutes, the breakies were playing for the stage win. Alberto Bettiol stretched his legs and flew solo on the valley before the last climb. This time in support of his teammate Cort – sorry Alberto we will stop talking about that stage at some point
And then – this happened,
Protest in the road, Bettiol can get through but the group behind won't find it so easy. Race being neutralised pic.twitter.com/R7rgRT2RwI
— the Inner Ring (@inrng) July 12, 2022
Riders were stopped in their groups, while the protesters were cleared from the route.
Photo of the @LeTour .. pic.twitter.com/q5BW5N1NwY
— Trudgin 🤷🏼♀️🏴🇵🇸🇪🇺 (@Trudgin) July 12, 2022
It was a climate change protest, same group also disrupted the Roland Garros French Open tennis the other day
— the Inner Ring (@inrng) July 12, 2022
After riding in circles to keep his legs from seizing up, Bettiol set off again.
After protesters halted the race on stage 10 today, @AlbertoBettiol really wanted to make sure he wouldn't lose his time gap to the rest of the breakaway! #TDF2022
Visit our YouTube page for highlights of today's stage 👉 https://t.co/RO3JPLSRpg pic.twitter.com/iVksXf9o8R
— GCN Racing (@GcnRacing) July 12, 2022
21km to go and a gap of nine minutes meant the stakes were even higher for BORA-hansgrohe’s Lennard Kamna as he moved into virtual yellow.
Bettiol risked everything on going from far, alone and he lost. Gonna be hard to beat Kamna today. #TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/Zx7UKfP9Bn
— Mihai Simion (@faustocoppi60) July 12, 2022
Bettiol was caught on the final, never-ending climb by a strong group including Dylan Van Baarle (INEOS Grenadiers), Benjamin Thomas (The Mighty ‘Dis), Andreas Leknussand (Team DSM) Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar), Luis Leon Sanchez (NOT ASTANA but Bahrain Victorious), Fred Wright (also Bahrain), Shultz and Cort.
Sanchez leapt away with 6km to go. Shultz and Jorgenson bridged to him and the trio were joined by Van Baarle. The attacks kept coming, their legs must have been screaming STOPPPPPPP.
🇫🇷 #TDF2022: These three + Van Baarle (IGD) right behind under the 'flamme rouge'. Vamos, Matteo!! 😬💙 pic.twitter.com/AiI3OYSWLC
— Movistar Team (@Movistar_Team) July 12, 2022
With 500m to go it looked like the quartet would play for the win, and then the cat and mouse started.
OMG theyre faffing
— midge (@pariswheels) July 12, 2022
From out of nowhere they were caught! Here’s your finale.
What a finish!
Magnus Cort takes the win from the breakaway after a day of full gas racing. #TDF2022 #ITVCycling pic.twitter.com/COSZzo55tV
— ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) July 12, 2022
It’s even more impressive from the overhead shots, with Danish comms.
🚁 Heli View of @magnuscort the 🛩 ConCort landing at Altiport Megève 🚴💨🇩🇰 @LeTour pic.twitter.com/eEDGr01cIY
— Alex Rasmussen (@alexfalkeman) July 12, 2022
Join Luke and I in our jubilant Danish EF Pinkie corner.
What a stormer of a finish. The way we shouted when Magnus appeared and stomped on the pedals to draw level with Schultz.
Our words exactly Mr Vaughters
Bahhhhhhgufhjooonhcdsss go obvc hbfsewwrj look NH vc Saadi ok nbvvchbccvbbb Bbb NJ knmjjjnm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bbb b a!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
— Jonathan Vaughters (@Vaughters) July 12, 2022
It was oh-so-close on the line. A mountain finish sprint, split by a lunge for the line and ending with riders spent and exhausted on the ground. What is not to ADORE.
@MagnusCort takes the win on stage 10 of #TDF 🚀 pic.twitter.com/RhuVLdDUMo
— EF Pro Cycling (@EFprocycling) July 12, 2022
You can’t touch this 🧊 pic.twitter.com/r8MN6s63xM
— Brian Nygaard (@nygaardbn) July 12, 2022
Look at that smile, and also 10/10 for #capsnothats
"It's huge. There's nothing bigger".
EF-Education Easy-Post's Magnus Cort explained how he delivered the stage win. #TDF2022 #ITVCycling pic.twitter.com/GbrcRUm1w0
— ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) July 12, 2022
Absolutely thrilled for Magnus, and his Tour de France, From King of the Mountains to Mountain Man at Megave.
So, what's a man to do once he's lost his polkadots? 😅
— Dr Headgear (@DrHeadgear) July 12, 2022
Very fitting that Bettiol gets podium time as the most combative rider, minus half a point for that hat!
🎙 🇮🇹 @AlbertoBettiol
"I tried to escape hoping it would help Magnus to do something, I’m happy that this big effort helped Magnus to finish the job"#TDF2022 https://t.co/PyFuoKDd04
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 12, 2022
A huge round of applause for Nick Schultz. I really feel for our #couchpeloton, that was an exceptional ride and I’m sure we’ll see more of this young Aussie.
"It is what it is, but I'm disappointed".
Nick Schultz spoke to Daniel after coming so close to winning stage 10.#TDF2022 #ITVCycling pic.twitter.com/JGNjdhYs4l
— ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) July 12, 2022
🟦 STAGE RECAP🟦
"I tried to play poker, but I’ve never really been in that position before to contest a Tour de France stage win. It was almost perfect." – @nick_schultz5 🎙#TDF2022 🥈https://t.co/j2XuiJFosf
— Team BikeExchange-Jayco (@GreenEDGEteam) July 12, 2022
Tale of the maillot jaune
As the break of the day pulled out their unassailable lead, the talk started to focus on would Tadej Pogacar relinquish his yellow jersey before two hard and complicated stages in the Alps.
The race restarted. Let's see if UAE will let Kamna take Yellow, it would be the smart thing. #TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/s2KmVeyEGx
— Mihai Simion (@faustocoppi60) July 12, 2022
It would seem to make sense not to have to expend energy to protect yellow, particularly given the problems caused by covid in his team.
George Bennett out of the race with covid, Majka also positive but with a low enough viral load to continue racing. Pogacar down two team mates and a third sick.
— Orlala Chennaoui 🇫🇷 🚲 (@SportsOrla) July 12, 2022
It did look as if that was the plan when Lennard Kamna moved into virtual yellow on the route. All eyes watched the running clock as BORA-hansgrohe’s GC man crossed the line. He only required 8 eight minutes and forty-four seconds to take it. It looked like the GC group would just roll over the line, that the yellow jersey would indeed switch shoulders and teams – right up until Pog sprinted to try and snatch seconds.
Crazy that UAE didn't let the jersey ride away today … maybe the other teams were keeping pace high to keep them in the yellow. Seems like when Pogacar sees a finish line he automatically sprints.
— Andrew Hood (@EuroHoody) July 12, 2022
💛 @TamauPogi keeps hold of the yellow jersey in Megève. #TDF2022#UAETeamEmirates #WeAreUAE pic.twitter.com/lYqGTpzJjp
— @UAE-TeamEmirates (@TeamEmiratesUAE) July 12, 2022
Did Kamna and BORA made the right calls today – stage victory or yellow were both in their grasp at some point and yet they come away with neither.
Pacing himself up the climb the way he usually does would do the trick, but he clearly wanted the stage. It explains the way he rode.
— Aleksandra Górska (@miss_gorska) July 12, 2022
Oh well… Lennard Kamna just misses out on yellow by 11 seconds! #sbstdf #TDF2022 #couchpeloton pic.twitter.com/bbwTS8saLC
— SBS Sport (@SBSSportau) July 12, 2022
First Pog denies him a stage victory, then the top step of the podium.
Pogo crushing Kamna’s dreams is becoming a recurring theme.
— nyvelocity (@nyvelocity) July 12, 2022
I really hope we don’t see the race altered by riders testing positive for covid, but I fear it’s a hope in vain. The situation remains complicated for all the teams, but UAE Team Emirates must be keeping everything crossed their fragile bubble holds.
Pogacar postrace re Covid in his team bubble: "I just hope we make it to the finish." #TDF2022
— daniel mcmahon (@cyclingreporter) July 12, 2022
The ASO have taken some steps to reduce contact between teams and public.
With Covid cases increasing, Tour de France organizer ASO has decided to close the bus paddock at stage starts to all but UCI officials, team staff and relevant ASO staff. #TDF2022
— Sadhbh O'Shea (@SadhbhOS) July 12, 2022
Bus tales
I did enjoy the twitter discussion between BikeExchange-Jayco (formerly Orica) and the EF social media accounts today. Honestly, you have to feel for those bus drivers, the roads they have to traverse, the places they have to park would test the best of us.
It’s about time we passed the torch onto someone else…
— Team BikeExchange-Jayco (@GreenEDGEteam) July 12, 2022
— EF Pro Cycling (@EFprocycling) July 12, 2022
Twitter use @nyvelocity will adore this
EF bus has just been pulled back onto four wheels by a hastily commandeered digger as riders wait to get down to the start in Morzine #TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/df9196H7BN
— Peter Cossins (@petercossins) July 12, 2022
Last Word (with the Alpine stages looming)
Tadej Pogacar: "It's a really difficult situation" https://t.co/AIN9Hk0jfF #TDF2022
— Radio Tour EN 🇬🇧 (@radiotour_en) July 12, 2022
Final results
Top 5 Stage 10
1 Magnus Cort (EF Education-EasyPost) 3:18:50
2 Nick Schultz (BikeExchange-Jayco) same time
3 Luis Leon Sanchez (Bahrain Victorious)) +0:07
4 Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) +0:08
5 Dylan Van Baarle (INEOS Grenadiers) +0:10
GC Top 10
‘http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/1408259115
1 Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) 37:11:28
2 Lennard Kamna (BORA-hansgrohe) +0:11
3 Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) +0:39
4 Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers) +1:17
5 Adam Yates (INEOS Grenadiers) +1:25
6 David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) +1:38
7 Romain Bardet (Team DSM) +1:39
8 Tom Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers) +1:46
9 Enric Mas (Movistar) +1:50
10 Luis Leon Sanchez (Bahrain Victorious) same time
All the Jerseys
🎽 Jerseys after stage 10 / Maillots distinctifs après l'étape 10
💛 @TamauPogi
💚 @WoutvanAert
🔴 @simongeschke
👶 @TamauPogi #TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/PV8p3SwaDe— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 12, 2022
Leader’s jersey Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates)
Points jersey : Wout van Aert (Jumbo Visma)
King of the Mountains: Simon Geschke (Cofidis)
Best young rider: Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates)
For full stage reviews, go to cyclingnews
Official Tour de France website is here