The French Champion put in a solid display on stage 16.
Rémi Cavagna confirmed his credentials as one of the best time trialists in the race, finishing sixth in the demanding 22.4km test against the clock which kicked off the third week of the Grande Boucle. Taking place between Passy and Combleux, the stage was a hilly one and to spice everything up, it featured the famous Côte de Domancy (2.5km, 9.4%), where Bernard Hinault attacked on his way to victory at the 1980 World Championships.
The French ITT Champion was among the riders to start in the first part of the day and produced a superb ride that saw him set the fastest time at all three checkpoints, including over the top of the Domancy, before stopping the clock in 35:42, thanks to an average speed of 37.64km/h. In the final hour of the race, Cavagna moved down the ranking once the overall contenders began coming home one by one, but even so he finished the stage won by Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) as the best placed of the non-GC riders.
“Today wasn’t easy and I can’t say the time trial suited me, but I gave everything and I am not disappointed. It was nice to ride it in the French colours, the fans were amazing in the way they encouraged me on the climbs. I started fast, and made sure of keeping something for the last climb, but it was hard there. Top 10 from this field is a good result. Now I will continue to help the team in the remaining stages”, Rémi explained after his day in Sallanches.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
