The Dane Kasper Asgreen released his Soudal-Quick Step team by winning the 18th stage of the Tour de France on Thursday in Bourg-en-Bresse where he resisted the return of the peloton which had returned to a few meters. His Danish compatriot Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) retains the yellow jersey at the end of this day of respite for the favorites the day after the last stage in the Alps.
Three days before the finish in Paris, Vingegaard, who barring an accident will win his second Tour de France on Sunday, retains a lead of 7 minutes and 35 seconds in the general classification over the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar. Asgreen, 28, settled on the line Dutchman Pascal Eenkhoorn and Norwegian Jonas Abrahamsen who had also been in the breakaway of the day, as well as Belgian Victor Campenaerts.
The four men were never more than 1 minute and 20 seconds ahead of the peloton but managed against all odds to see their escapade through to the end. Asgreen, well helped by his teammates Julian Alaphilippe and Tom Declercq who, as old veterans, did everything to disrupt the pursuit by constantly intercalating between the teams of sprinters in the peloton. Asgreen, winner of the Tour of Flanders in 2021, took the opportunity to claim his first victory on the Grande Boucle after two second places and free his team which had been left empty-handed on this Tour until then.