The Dane racked up the team’s eighth top 3 finish at this edition.
Kasper Asgreen delivered another solid performance, confirming his prowess against the clock and finishing runner-up in the 30.8km individual time trial that took place over a rolling course between Libourne and Saint-Émilion, in the Nouvelle-Aquitanie region.
The three-time Danish ITT Champion was one of the riders to watch on this penultimate Tour de France stage, and he didn’t disappoint, turning out a great ITT and setting the benchmark at both intermediate checkpoints. Not even the heat and the headwind could hamper the Ronde van Vlaanderen’s effort, who continued to ride strongly tucked over the aero bars to keep the watts and save speed, setting a time of 36:14 at the finish after averaging a stunning 51km/h.
Asgreen remained in the hot seat for almost two hours, until Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), who was among the late starters, improved his time. The 26-year-old wasn’t the only Deceuninck – Quick-Step rider to impress Saturday afternoon, as Mattia Cattaneo also produced a good time trial and concluded sixth for his fifth top 10 at the race.
“There were many strong riders at the start today, so I knew it was going to be difficult, that’s why being on the podium is a result that gives me a lot of satisfaction, especially as it comes after a long and hard three weeks and just a few days before the Olympics. The opening kilometers had some rough asphalt and were quite bumpy, making it difficult to find the rhythm, so my main focus was on the two long straights. Top 3 at the end of the day is a good result, my first podium at the race this year”, Kasper said at the finish.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
