Tour de France

Remco Evenepoel enjoyed his first day in the white jersey at this edition – which he took following his dominant ITT victory – as the peloton embarked on 201.5km stage between Bayeux and Vire Normandie featuring many small climbs and a total of 3500 vertical meters. The heat and the multiple attacks coming in the first 50 kilometers only made things more difficult, but the pace eventually relented after an intense hour of racing, once eight men snapped the elastic and formed a breakaway.

The escapees quickly opened a seven-minute gap, which despite being reduced in the final part of the stage, was enough for the move to hold off the chasers. Ben Healy (EF Education-Easy Post) attacked to take a solo victory, while Remco Evenepoel and the rest of the general classification men concluded around five minutes later, Soudal Quick-Step’s Belgian retaining the lead in the white jersey rankings.

Friday brings another important test at the Tour de France, on the hilly roads to Mûr-de-Bretagne, a climb that returns after four years and where the GC favourites could very well come to the fore, especially as it will be tackled twice.

Photo credit:  ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images