Gilme emerged victorious in a late surge, triumphing without team support in the final 500 meters.
At around 11 p.m. Beijing time on July 1, the 2024 Tour de France Stage 3 (Piacenza to Turin) concluded, with an initial breakaway of two riders, a 35-kilometer attempt by Gregor, and a tightly contested sprint finish under the watchful eyes of the peloton. Gilme claimed victory in the absence of teammates, leveraging others’ momentum, as Carapaz took the yellow jersey. Let’s review the race.
The race route. Covering 230.8 kilometers from Piacenza in northern Italy westward, it featured three climbs and one sprint point. With a flat course and being the first sprint stage of the event, sprinters eagerly awaited their first showdown.
Amidst the cheering crowds in Piacenza, the race began. Adopting the new UCI rule (extending the protected zone from 3 to 5 kilometers before the finish), where crashes within 5 km would result in the same time as the last rider in the group, and with a long, flat 200+ kilometer stage, most riders initially held back, maintaining an average speed of 37 km/h. This harmony persisted for 130 kilometers. After Abrahamson (Uno-X Team), who wore the green and polka dot jerseys, successfully collected intermediate sprint points, he rejoined the main field, resetting the race.
Approaching 170 kilometers into the race, some riders couldn’t resist the urge to break away, with Gregor (TotalEnergies Team) attempting a solo effort and securing the second and third climb points before being caught by the peloton, leading to another sprint battle.
As the peloton entered Turin, teams formed their lead-out trains, vying for advantageous positions. A large crash occurred 2.4 km from the finish line on the right side of the peloton, severely affecting Israel BikeExchange, splitting the group.
WNT soon took control at the front, but with 700 meters to go, Gilme’s domestiques were spent, forcing him to rely on other teams. At 300 meters from the finish, Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) launched his sprint, with Gilme seizing the opportunity to counterattack from the right, while Gaviria (Movistar Team) attacked from the left. In a matter of moments, Pedersen found himself at a disadvantage. Sensing the finish line less than 10 meters away, Gilme surged to win the stage.
In his post-race interview, Gilme exclaimed, “I’ve had a dream of the Tour de France since I was young, but I never imagined winning a stage after only two years! It feels like a dream come true! This victory belongs not just to our team but also to African professional cyclists!”
After the race, Carapaz claimed the yellow jersey, Abrahamson retained the green and polka dot jerseys, while Evenepoel secured the white jersey. Stage 4 (Pinerolo to Valloire) on July 2 is highly anticipated.
Race Gallery
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