After resisting the return of Alberto Bettiol in the Montée Jalabert, Michael Matthews won alone in Mende during the 14th stage of the Tour de France 2022. Tadej Pogacar attacked Jonas Vingegaard without taking time in the yellow jersey.
Michael Matthews had been waiting for this for five years! Accustomed to shining in sprints, the Australian showed a whole different side of his talent on the road leading the Tour de France peloton from Saint-Etienne to Mende through the Massif Central. From the start, the BikeExchange-Jayco team rider tried to get out of the peloton but the Canberra native’s ambitions were met with an attempted kick from Jarnac by a certain Tadej Pogacar. Taking advantage of the slopes of the Côte de Saint-Just-Malmont, the white jersey wearer placed a start that took everyone by surprise, especially Jonas Vingegaard. Lonely as the peloton found itself scattered like a puzzle, the yellow jersey had to make the effort alone to come back to the double title holder. A disheveled start to the stage which claimed victims, with a group of around forty riders around Primoz Roglic very quickly left behind but especially Caleb Ewan. The sprinter from the Lotto-Soudal team, not recovered from his fall at the end of the race on Friday, was immediately released, alone. Not wanting to let Tadej Pogacar dictate the tempo of the race alone, Jonas Vingegaard also started in the Côte de Châtaignier but the Slovenian immediately knew how to respond. In this little game, the Roglic group saw the gap swell to exceed two minutes.
? @TamauPogi is already trying to break up the peloton, ? Jonas Vingegaard has to chase the surprise attack back
? @TamauPogi already trying to shake up the peloton! A surprised time, ? Jonas Vingegaard is hunting to come back. #TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/bCnYThYc1d
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 16, 2022
The breakaway was able to calm the ardor
However, some 150 kilometers from the finish, the race ended up settling and returning to a fairly conventional scenario. Indeed, it was at this time that a group of 18 riders broke away from the peloton, including Louis Meintjes, Neilson Powless, Thibaut Pinot, Lennard Kämna, Jakob Fuglsang, Franck Bonnamour and Benoît Cosnefroy. Andreas Kron, Luis Leon Sanchez, Stefan Küng, Michael Woods and Michael Matthews made the connection in a second time. The Jumbo-Visma and UAE Team Emirates teams then decided to “curtain”, letting this breakaway go. The peloton drastically reduced its pace, which had two consequences. First of all, the breakaway was able to take off very quickly and understand that the stage victory was going to be decided between them. The other was the gradual return of the Roglic group, which was able to join together shortly afterwards. Jonas Vingegaard was thus able to find all of his close guard in order to muzzle the peloton. Michael Matthews didn’t miss the opportunity to get plenty of points in the intermediate sprint at Yssingeaux while Caleb Ewan very quickly was more than a quarter of an hour behind the peloton. In terms of refueling, the Lotto-Soudal team asked Frederik Frison, Tim Wellens and Reinardt Janse van Rensburg to stop and wait for “Pocket Rocket” to help them get in on time. Which was successful, with the Australian and his teammates crossing the finish line 39 minutes after the day’s winner.
?? @blingmatthews is now off on his own at the front as the American duo were caught!
?? @blingmatthews is now alone in the lead since the American duo has been taken over.#TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/jFd8W6kbbT
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 16, 2022
Matthews made a vacuum around him
In the breakaway, the agreement was not immediately optimal. Jakob Fuglsang didn’t hesitate to place an attack in an attempt to get everyone on the same page, which paid off. The gap with the peloton then quickly grew to a large extent, with more than ten minutes at 100 kilometers from the finish. Determined to take the breakaway, Simon Geschke picked up a few points for his polka dot jersey at the top of the Côte de Grandrieu. It was then that Quinn Simmons restarted to get out of the breakaway, without that making the difference. But this attempt gave ideas to Michael Matthews, who took advantage of a false flat amounting to just over 50 kilometers from the finish to place a start. Only Felix Grossschartner, Luis Leon Sanchez and Andreas Kron were able to come back to “Bling” Matthews. Penultimate difficulty of the day, the Côte de la Fage allowed the pursuers to skim when Andreas Kron, victim of a puncture on the descent, was unable to stay in the leading group. The trio got along perfectly until the foot of the Côte de la Croix-Neuve, also known as Montée Jalabert, but the gap with the pursuers continued to shrink. It was with a lead of fifteen seconds that the three leading riders hit the slope.
? Beautiful Matthews in Mende!#TDF2022 | @blingmatthews pic.twitter.com/cmtAKH0IWH
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 16, 2022
Matthews made Bettiol give in, Vingegaard resisted Pogacar
As soon as the road bent, Michael Matthews isolated himself at the head of the race. However, in the chasing group, Alberto Bettiol had an idea in mind. The Italian very quickly made the connection with the Australian then tried to distance him before the summit, located 1500 meters from the finish. However, with courage, the rider from the BikeExchange-Jayco team held on before making the decision in the last meters of the climb. The mass was said and, five years after his last stage victory in the Tour de France, Michael Matthews found this feeling. Having reacted really too late, Thibaut Pinot had to settle for third place at 34 seconds. Attention then turned to the fight for the general classification. When Wout Van Aert cut his effort at the front of the pack, Tadej Pogacar rolled Rafal Majka and was able to isolate Jonas Vingegaard before placing a powerful start. But the wearer of the yellow jersey, as in Alpe d’Huez, was able to contain the enthusiasm of the Slovenian and stay in his wheel until the finish. Geraint Thomas, Romain Bardet and David Gaudu all lost time on the leading duo. The one who does a good operation this Saturday is Louis Meintjes. The South African, tenth in the stage, takes over eleven minutes and settles in seventh place, ahead of David Gaudu at the end of a completely crazy stage!
