Tour de France: Sprinter Bauhaus escapes fall chaos – Milan wins

Phil Bauhaus was clearly to be seen. “I was the last driver who got through,” said the German Sprinter after the chaotic mass arrangement, in which he only wasted a fall in the flowing rain of Valence.

The chances of winning the 31 -year -old Bauhaus were still there on the 17th stage of the Tour de France. “The fall was left in front of me, I was lucky that the bikes slipped to the left. It was very, very slippery,” said Bauhaus in the ARD.

In the rapid finale on the rain -wet road, there was a mass crash about 1000 meters before the finish line, which divided the field into two groups and brought many winners for their chances. The Italian Jonathan Milan secured the day of the day ahead of Jordi Meeus and Tobias Lund. It was Milan’s second stage victory on this tour of France.

Milan: “I didn’t even notice the fall”

“I did not even notice that there was a fall,” the sponsor of the green jerseys, who was able to expand his lead in the point rating before the upcoming Alpine stages. Milan’s great competitor Tim Merlier and the winners of the score of the past year, Biniam Girmay, were also involved in the incident immediately before the final sprint.

The German Sprinter around Bauhaus and Pascal Ackermann also assumed empty in the rain of Valence. After 160.4 kilometers, Bauhaus only came to twelfth place in the city on the Rhone after 160.4 kilometers.

Hardly any chances for the sprinter

In view of the Montmartre crossing at the final at the final on Sunday in Paris, it could have been the last chance of a day’s success for quick cycling professionals. From Thursday, the climbing stages in the Alps, which are unloved, are on the program.

The balance of the German Sprinter has so far been very modest after 17 stages on this tour of France. The third place from Bauhaus on the third stage was the best result. At the mass sprint in Dunkirk, he hadn’t come past the top sprinters Merlier and Milan.

Ackermann sprinted over the finish line in Laval five days later. The last German professional, who was able to win a mass sprint on the tour, was Marcel Kittel in 2017. The last German stage victory had celebrated Nils Politt in 2021.

“Lipo, Lipo” response choirs before the start

The emotional situation looks very different with the starter of Florian Lipowitz. Even before the start of the stage in Bollène, fans of Germany celebrated cycling hopes with “Lipo, Lipo” response choirs. The 24-year-old wrote autographs for the best young professional in the white jersey and self-made with the spectators.

The day after the hard stage, Lipowitz in Valence, together with tour dominator Tadej Pogacar and his permanent rival Jonas Vingegaard, finished in the main field. The former biathlete confidently defended his third place in the overall classification and the coveted outfit. The trio protected the forces for the upcoming hard climbing parts in the Alps.

In the overall classification, Lipowitz is still 9:03 minutes behind Pogacar in the yellow jersey and Vingegaard (4:48 minutes). Lipowitz has a lead of 2:01 minutes on the fourth -placed British British Oscar Onley. The Swabian may have justified hopes for the podium in Paris on its first tour of France. Since 2006 he would be the first German cyclist to be on the tour podium. At that time Andreas Klöden took second place.

After collapse: Norwegian again at the start

Tobias Halland Johannessen was also happy. After his collapse on Mont Ventoux, the Norwegian was back for his team UNO-X Mobility on the starting line in Valence. The 25-year-old was treated with oxygen by the racing doctors the previous day after the collapse and taken to a hospital for further examinations. In the evening his team gave the all -clear. In the overall ranking, the Norwegian is in eighth place.

On Thursday, the fans at the royal stage are looking forward to another duel between defending champion Pogacar and his permanent rival Vingegaard. In 2023, the Dane had added a crashing defeat to the three-time tour winner from Slovenia on Col de la Loze at an altitude of 2.304 meters. For the rest of the driver field, the most demanding stage in the Alps will be a day of the agony.

From the start of VIF, it goes over 171.5 kilometers and 5,450 meters to the Ski town of Courchevel. The 26 -kilometer final increase to the Col de la Loze challenges the professionals with an average climb of 6.5 percent. A total of three climbs of the highest category are waiting, including the mountain arrival.