The 24-year-old continues to be joined in the GC top ten by Soudal Quick-Step teammate Mikel Landa.
Remco Evenepoel became the first Belgian rider to lead the Tour de France youth classification seven days in a row, after concluding the tricky and nervous stage 7 in the top ten. Comprising four classified climbs, plenty of undulating roads and an elevation gain of more than 2000 meters, the trek between Semur-en-Auxois and Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises was far from being a sprinters’ straightforward day, but despite this, it came down to a mass gallop.
The cold temperatures and nagging rain favoured a large breakaway, but that was only on paper, because only one rider decided to attack and go up the road, putting more than six minutes into the field with around 100 kilometers to go. Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno X-Mobility) remained off the front until inside the last 20 kilometers, when we got reeled in. On the 7% drag to the line, Biniam Girmay (Intermarche-Wanty) took the victory, while Remco – who remained well positioned the entire time as things became hectic – finished tenth.
Victorious in the race’s first individual time trial and second overall, Evenepoel will enter the first week’s final stage with the white jersey firmly on his shoulders. Stage 9, starting and concluding in Troyes, comes with a total of fourteen gravel roads sectors which could wreak havoc in the peloton and bring some significant changes to the general classification.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
