As Bastille Day dawns on Sunday, French cycling fans and media could look back on something that has become increasingly rare in recent years: an opening week of the Tour de France in which a Frenchman had won a key stage and twice taken the yellow jersey with true panache – step forward Julian Alaphilippe. They could also savour a set of overall standings where a home-bred star, Thibaut Pinot, looked like a serious contender for the final victory.
That sense was reinforced after Saturday’s stage to Saint-Étienne where Alaphilippe attacked together with Pinot on the final climb to regain the yellow jersey he had lost on Thursday’s finish at La Planche des Belles Filles.
Written by William Fotheringham
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/jul/14/thibaut-pinor-julian-alaphilippe-tour-de-france under the title “Thibaut Pinot shows fine vintage to lift French spirits in Tour de France”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
