Astana’s Lopez among favorites at first Pyrenees Stage, Tour de France, Stage 8
Having Col de Menté (1st category, 6.9 km, 8.1%), Port de Balès (HC category, 12.2 km, 7.6%) and Col de Peyresourde (1st category, 9.7 km, 7.5%) in the menu, the stage became a tough test for the race contenders.
Miguel Angel Lopez did a good stage and finished 11th in a group with other GC favorites, Astana Pro Team’s official website reads.
« I am happy to stay with the best riders until the end and to finish in the group of leaders. It was an exhausting stage, for sure, with three demanding climbs. Also, the pace on the second half of the stage was really high and challenging. But, I felt pretty well and the team did a good job for me. In the decisive moment I still had Harold Tejada and Gorka Izagirre next to me, while later there were only the race favorites in our group. I tried to stay calm and to keep on going on my own rhythm. Indeed, there were many attacks in the final, but I was able to follow it, also on the descent. So, everything went well, but the new hard day is coming tomorrow. I am going to continue this race day by day and we will see how the things will go ahead,» Miguel Angel Lopez.
«I think on the stage like today it was difficult to win something but, for sure, it was possible to lose. So, we tried to stay focused and concentrated in every moment of the race and to protect our leader Miguel Angel Lopez. We knew it could be a good opportunity for a break, but after yesterday’s really tough stage, where our riders gave their best, we decided to stay in the group. The final was pretty exciting and aggressive with a lot of attacks, and, as you could see, in the front group behind the break there were only team’s leaders. Miguel Angel did a good race, he was always in front, following the others. We are still in the first week, so the main thing now is not to lose time and to try to stay with the best riders day by day,» said Dmitriy Fofonov, sports manager of Astana Pro Team.
Indeed, it was a good day for a breakaway and, thus, shortly after the start a group of 13 riders broke away clear, taking a huge gap of 12 minutes. It was enough to play the stage and the French rider Nans Peters, who attacked on the descent from Port de Balès, became the stage winner.
Eight riders from 13 have survived in front of the race, while behind them a group of favorites has arrived to the finish: Tadej Pogacar was ninth after his late attack, taking an advantage of 40 seconds, Romain Bardet did 10th, while Miguel Angel Lopez finished 11th, bringing to the finish the entire group of GC contenders, 6 minutes 40 seconds behind the stage winner.
The Britton Adam Yates still keeps the yellow jersey, while Miguel Angel Lopez moved up to the seventh position, 13 seconds behind Yates.
The second Pyrenees stage will be held tomorrow: the riders will do 153 km of stage 9 from Pau to Laruns with 4 climbs on the distance.