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Taking Risks TdF23-73
Mathieu Van Der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) went over the Col de La Croix Montmain first and pressed his advantage back down the other side of the mountain. He was using every bit of the road, taking big risks to keep those behind from catching him prior to the final climb of the day. Ironically, the hay bales set in front of the guardrail on this turn was almost the thing that made him crash. He just barely missed one of the bales as he dropped his wheels off the edge of the tarmac. His winter job of riding cyclo-cross held him in good stead as he managed to stay upright, losing just a tiny modicum of speed. It was going to take every second he could gain to hold off those working together to chase him down.