When he won the time trial at Scherpenheuvel-Zichem in the third stage of the Tour of Belgium, it was written that it could be a warning for the Tour. When he was second in the Belgian Nationals time trial (with almost 35 kilometers and no less than 12 kilometers like a week before), he wrote again that it could be a warning for the Tour. When we got to the Tour, nobody wrote anything. And notoriously, before the big names that gathered in the capital of Denmark to start the Tour de France with the yellow jersey. However, and by crooked lines, the same name was spelled correctly: Yves Lampert.
Contador praises Rúben Guerreiro at the start of the Tour: “The mountains are his territory and he can achieve great results in these stages”
After Wout van Aert seemed to have the victory assured, having beaten direct competition more focused on the start in Filippo Ganna and Mathieu van der Poel, the fellow Belgian from Quick-Step took advantage of the respite of the rain in Copenhagen to make a time of 15.17, five seconds faster than the Jumbo-Visma corridor. Thus, a different story was being written than the one that seemed closed, after an almost total bet on the fastest to enter the time trial in the first hour and a half.
???????? @yveslampaert claimed the inaugural victory of the #PTO2022 with a fantastic ride to beat the favorites!
Here is the last KM ????
???????? @yveslampaert the report la première victoire du #PTO2022 En realisant un magnifique parcours pour battre les favoris!
Relive the dernier KM ???? pic.twitter.com/jezD6JQRTO
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 1, 2022
At 31 years old, the Belgian achieved what was the biggest victory of his career, between modest previous stages in Grand Voltas (113 and 136 in the Vuelta in 2016 and 2017, 80 and 133 in the Tour in 2018 and 2019) and two consecutive wins in the Dwars Puerta Vlaanderen semi-classic (2017 and 2018) and a third place in Paris-Roubaix (2019). Also for that reason, Lampaert couldn’t hold back his tears on the podium. Between the two Portuguese, Nelson Oliveira was 52nd at 51 seconds and Rúben Guerreiro finished 147th at 1.38 minutes. Lotto Soudal’s Frederik Frison was 176th and last with a distance of 2.41 minutes.
???? We get goosebumps watching @yveslampaertThe reaction back!
???? On ne lasse pas de revivre et partager l’émotion d’ @yveslampaert or more pressure#PTO2022 pic.twitter.com/mOAELSVmk1
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 1, 2022
Among the top favourites, Tadej Pogacar gave a first show of force finishing with the third best time, seven seconds behind Lampaert and two behind Wout van Aert. However, the advantage he obtained was not substantial: Jonas Vingegaard was eight seconds behind the Slovenian, Primoz Roglic nine seconds behind his compatriot and the British Adam Yates and Geraint Thomas gave up less than 20 seconds to the two-time Tour champion who is Sunday in Denmark, with two stages to run and with probable arrivals at pique that favor the “defense” of Lampaert.
???? ???????? @yveslampaert
“I’m just the son of a farmer from Belgium and I’ve done this”
An emotional interview of today’s winner ⬇️#PTO2022 pic.twitter.com/PRLeLycGrf
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 1, 2022
???? Rankings after stage 1 of the #PTO2022
???? Lessons after stage 1 #PTO2022 pic.twitter.com/lhjwmextIP
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 1, 2022
Source: Observadora
