Arensman wins 19th stage of Tour de France, Pogačar moves closer to title

LA PLAGNE, France (AP) — Dutch rider Thymen Arensman launched a daring solo attack on a long final climb and held on grimly to win the 19th stage of the Tour de France on Friday.

Although race leader Tadej Pogačar took a step closer to a fourth Tour title, the Slovenian star could not catch Arensman. He finished the stage in third place behind Dane Jonas Vingegaard, who just beat Pogačar to the line.

It was a rare success for the two-time Tour winner Vingegaard over Pogačar in this year’s race but ultimately made little difference, since Pogačar is 4 minutes, 24 seconds ahead of Vingegaard with two stages left.

Vingegaard could not drop Pogačar on Friday’s shortened stage, which featured a 19.1-kilometer (11.8-mile) finish up to the ski resort of La Plagne.

Arensman had shown his climbing ability with a stunning solo effort last Saturday to win a mammoth mountain stage. 

He made his move this time with 13 kilometers left. Pogačar and Vingegaard marked each other at first and chose not to follow. 

By the time they did, it was too late and Arensman won the stage by 2 seconds. 

“Tadej and Jonas are the strongest in the world, almost aliens, and I’m human,” the 25-year-old Arensman said. “I can’t believe I beat them today. I tried to not look behind.”

Moments after crossing the line, Arensman put his hands on his face and wept as he sat on the ground against a crash barrier, panting heavily with exhaustion.

“I’m absolutely destroyed, I can’t believe it. To win one stage from the breakaway was already unbelievable,” he said. “But now to do it against the strongest riders in the world, it feels like I’m dreaming.”

Ottawa’s Michael Woods finished 80th in Friday’s stage and dropped three spots to 56th overall, three hours six minutes 59 seconds behind Pogačar.

Guillaume Boivin of Longueuil, Que., Woods’s Israel-Premier Tech teammate, was 143rd on Friday and remained at 148th overall, 5:15:59 off the pace.

Stage shortened after cows infected

Stage 19 was shortened after cows infected by a contagious disease were culled in an area along the mountainous route.

It was meant to be 129.9 kilometers long but trimmed to 93.1 kilometers. Two of five climbs were removed, including the 13.7 kilometer Col des Saisies — where an outbreak of nodular dermatitis (lumpy skin) affected a herd of cows.

“The discovery of an outbreak of contagious nodular dermatitis affecting cattle in a herd located specifically in the Col des Saisies necessitated the culling of the animals,” race organizer ASO said. “It was decided, in agreement with the authorities, to modify the route.”

However, the stage still featured two Hors catégorie ascents — the hardest level of climbing — with a 12.6 kilometer ascent up Col du Pré followed by the trek up La Plagne.

Primož Roglič, the 2020 Tour runner-up and a record-equaling four-time Spanish Vuelta champion, attacked near the top of Col du Pré but then faded well away.

Saturday’s penultimate stage

Saturday’s 20th stage is a hilly 184.2-kilometer route through eastern France finishing in Pontarlier.

Sunday’s 21st and final stage sees three climbs up Montmartre hill — a short, sharp ascent which featured at the Paris Olympics last year — before a traditional finish on the Champs-Élysées.

Around 3,000 police officers will be deployed on Sunday to ensure security.

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