TDF Stage 13: Win for Martinez

Columbia’s Dani Martinez won stage 13 of the 2020 Tour de France as he beat the Bora-Hansgrohe duo Maximilian Schachmann and Lennard Kämna on top of the col d’Puy Mary.

TDF Stage 13: Win for Martinez

Columbia’s Dani Martinez won stage 13 of the 2020 Tour de France as he beat the Bora-Hansgrohe duo Maximilian Schachmann and Lennard Kämna on top of the col d’Puy Mary. He’s the 13th Colombian to win a Tour de France stage, the 21st for the country. Primoz Roglic extended his overall lead and Tadej Pogacar took over from Egan Bernal as runner up.

There were 160 riders who took to the start of stage 13 in Châtel-Guyon. Krists Neilands (Israel Start-Up Nation) was first to go on the offensive. Rémi Cavagna (Deceuninck-Quick Step) was also on the move as he passed through his town of Riom in the lead as a front group was formed: Benoît Cosnefroy (AG2R-La Mondiale), Niccolo Bonifazio (Total Direct Energie), Simon Geschke (CCC), Nils Politt (Israel Start-Up Nation) and Tejay van Garderen (EF). Cavagna’s team-mate Julian Alaphilippe, who is also from the Auvergne region came across to the break.

It was a very eventful stage beginning with Peter Sagan failing to hold the pace of a chasing group and Thomas De Gendt failing to bridge a gap to the leaders. Rémi Cavagna and Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick Step), Simon Geschke (CCC), Dan Martin (Israel Start-Up Nation) and Marc Soler (Movistar) made up the front group over the top of the cat. 1 col de Ceyssat (km 36).

Two kilometres before the col de Guéry, (63.5km) 17 riders regrouped at the front of the race after many fierce battles: Pavel Sivakov (Ineos Grenadiers), Lennard Kämna (Bora-Hansgrohe), Warren Barguil (Arkéa-Samsic), Hugh Carthy, Daniel Martínez and Neilson Powless (EF Education First), Nicolas Edet (Cofidis), David de la Cruz (UAE Team Emirates), Pierre Rolland (B&B Hotels-Vital Concept), Max Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe), Romain Sicard (Total Direct Energie) and Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ) are reunited and coming across to Rémi Cavagna and Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick Step), Simon Geschke (CCC), Dan Martin (Israel Start-Up Nation) and Marc Soler (Movistar).

Then, two riders attacked with 112km go: Britain’s Hugh Carthy and Madouas. Madouas continued on his own and crested the col de la Stèle alone in the lead. After 18km solo at the front, the young Frenchman sat up and the 16-man group was reunited. Their advantage over the peloton was 8’15″ at the intermediate sprint, 80km before the end, while Romain Bardet and Nairo Quintana were victims of a crash. They came out unscathed unlike Bauke Mollema who was forced to abandon (see below).

The maximum deficit of the bunch was 10’40″ with 50km to go. Powless rode away from the 17-man front group on the downhill with 40km to go. Schachmann was first to try and catch the American by himself.

They formed a leading duo with 29km to go and started climbing the col de Néronne with an advantage of 50″. With 18km to go, Schachmann went solo. Behind, Soler launched a counter-attack but couldn’t hold the pace of Martinez who chased the lone leader with Kämna sticking to his back wheel. Martinez and Kämna came across to Schachmann with 1.8km to go.

Kämna sped up with 650m to go but Martinez managed to hold on. Kämna then launched the uphill sprint but Martinez was too fast for him and rode away to win the stage by four seconds. In the yellow jersey group, the Slovenian duo Roglic-Pogacar managed to drop arch-rival and defending champion Egan Bernal who lost some significant time, one of many to do so including Guillaume Martin and Romain Bardet.

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REACTIONS

Dani Martínez, “I haven’t had the easiest of weeks. I didn’t have great sensations in the legs, I was a little shaken after my crash, but I knew I could win a stage and I did just that.

“After my win at the Critérium du Dauphiné, of course I was feeling great. After the Dauphiné I recovered pretty well, and had good sensations at the beginning of the Tour. But after the crash and after losing quite a bit of time I wasn’t there mentally. But then I told myself I had to move on and I will fight for a stage win. I was looking for stages I could win and I just won this one.

“Of course, yes, I was scared when I was along against the two Bora Riders. At the end of the stage when they were the only ones left with me and I saw they were close, I tried to follow for a bit. But then I worked and worked and gave everything on the climb. With 5km to go, I saw they were both struggling, and I could see that Kämna couldn’t hold his sprint and I knew that I could beat him.

“When we knew that Neilson Powless was with Schachmann, I kind of relaxed. But then he got dropped and I had work hard to bring him back along with the other riders in the breakaway. Once I was alone with Kämna I decided to set my pace and go full gas until the very end. I felt like Max Schachmann would be quite a bit stronger than me in the flat and downhill sections, but I managed to bridge back to him with 2km to go.

“The team strategy was actually to support Rigoberto Urán until the very end but the circumstances changed early on. I saw that I had good legs and I saw a possibility to get into the breakaway and look for the stage victory.

“We are living a great moment for Colombian cycling. We have four riders in the top ten of the GC which is the most of any country in history, and everyone has a chance to contend for the win. There are many hard stages ahead and I, for one, will support Rigoberto Urán fully who is in great shape at the moment.

“I think that we, the Colombian riders at the Tour de France, but also the riders in the youth ranks and at all the races, are showing everyday how deep the talent is.”

Primoz Roglic: “I see this as a Slovenian day, not a Colombian day. It was only a 2-km climb to finish but when I saw it from the bottom I realized it would be an extremely hard effort to produce. I’m super happy with how it went. There’s still a lot of road ahead of us. Next week there’ll different scenarios with different riders. I just want to focus on myself and my team, not the other riders.”

“I took valuable time on my rivals, except for Pogačar. He is very strong and he is a tough opponent. It’s no surprise to us that he’s doing so well. We saw that in the Vuelta last year. But all in all it was a good day. As long as you gain time, it’s okay and to my advantage. Every second counts. The team was again very strong today. This is not only my performance, but that of the whole team. After all, we do this together. It was a tough day and the final climb, above all the last two kilometres, was very steep. It was tough and everyone was riding at their limit. This has been a good day, but we are not there yet. The Tour is still long and a lot can still happen. We will continue to focus on our plan and then we will see where it takes us.”

Adam Yates: “We tried to get in the break but it was a really hard day. Nothing went until the first category climb and once it was on the climb it was every man for himself. We missed it, but the boys tried really hard. After we missed it all of the boys got around me, kept me hydrated and fuelled for the day, it was a tough day in general, 4500m of climbing, but I tried to do my thing in the finish. The legs are OK, nothing special, but I feel like every day I am getting better and better and feeling more like myself and hopefully after a few more days and the rest day I can have a go.”

Tadej Pogacar: It was a tough battle. We weren’t friends in the last 2km! I gained time on everyone except Roglic. I’m very happy. The team remained calm and did a good job with David [De La Cruz] in the breakaway. For sure you’ll see more attacking next week. It was a great day, and now I find myself in the white jersey again. I am also happy to have reached the finish line with Roglic: pedaling uphill with Primoz reminded me of the sensations I experienced in last year’s Vuelta, it was an experience similar to that of the 13th stage of the Spanish race, when we arrived in Los Machucos. In the overall standings, I gained seconds on all the other riders, except Roglic, so I’m satisfied and I’d like to thank the team for giving me great support during the stage, I’m proud of my teammates ”.

Lennard Kämna “I wanted to drop Martinez in the finale because I know I’m not a very fast sprinter but he showed he was also strong and had a good acceleration in the final metres while I was nearly standing still. I felt in good shape in the final climb and launched a few attacks but he stayed on my wheel. I was able to save some energy in the valley but also afterwards because Martinez was pulling and I was on his wheel since I didn’t have to take any turns. I would have liked to finish this effort off but it is what it is, I can’t change anything now. There are a few more stages coming up where I hope I can get a win.”

Maximilian Schachmann “Of course, we wanted to win today. I knew that the two last climbs weren’t the best ones for me so I tried to go earlier. On the way, I thought I could have a good chance at stage win but Martinez showed a strong performance and won the sprint. Earlier in the stage, we devised a plan for the finale and I knew Lennard was approaching from behind. I thought he had a good chance at stage win and in fact, he showed it and the finish was very close. I’m getting better and better and I’m happy that part of my old shape, before my crash at the Lombardia, is coming back. I think I would need two to three rest days and we’ll see how my legs feel in the final week.”

Tom Dumoulin was impressed by his leader. “Primoz indicated that he was feeling good and that he wanted to try something in the last two kilometres. He was dominant and the team did very well. It is the first day that differences have been made in the GC. We had hoped to gain time on Egan, but we didn’t expect it. Especially not when Ineos took over on the penultimate climb. They were going really fast. They really went full throttle. After that, Sepp and I took over. Sepp was really strong. It’s still a long way to go in this Tour and there is a very tough third week ahead of us. So far it is going well and today was a good day.”

Benoît Cosnefroy: “I had to defend this climber’s jersey the best I could but I couldn’t follow my breakaway companions on the first climb. I put myself at the service of Romain Bardet and the team. I did what I could. I’m disappointed for Romain. He failed because of his crash, not because of his condition. We could feel that he was in pain.”

Valentin Madouas (4th) On the finish line, only winner of the day’s Dani Martinez, as well as Lennard Kämna and Maximilian Schachmann eventually beat him. “I knew it was going to be very hard in the end, with very steep slopes, and you need to have a lot of freshness”, he said. “The strongest got away, and I missed a little something to be able to do better. I was feeling pretty good but I think the energy I spent at the start to join the breakaway cost me a better performance. Maybe not the win, but there was probably a chance of getting closer to it”. “He might not have won without his efforts at the start, but that undoubtedly influenced his performance in the final,” Thierry Bricaud also observed. “He was always a bit out of time, but he couldn’t do otherwise. It just goes to show that he is doing very well, because he’s had a hell of a day and managed to finish fourth at the finish. Despite his youth, Valentin knows himself very well. He didn’t want to get over his limits, he went his own pace, and that’s what allowed him to overtake some riders in the final.”

After more than five hours, the young Frenchman therefore grabbed his first top 5 on the Tour de France, which is no small feat. “I’m happy because the legs are good,” he said. “Before me on the line, the Dauphiné’s winner wins ahead of a Dauphiné’s stage winner. It proves that I am almost at their level. I lack a little something but it will come, and I’m pretty happy with my performance.” After Sébastien Reichenbach’s eighth place on Thursday at Sarran, the Groupama-FDJ shows to be ready for its new objectives. “The guys are in on it, they’re trying and that’s the attitude we want to see and have,” Thierry concluded. “We’re going to repeat that tomorrow and every day that follows, until we get there. It is getting closer. There is a beautiful weekend coming up and another great week after that”.

Pierre Rolland (5th): “It was a big battle to take the breakaway. The Jumbo-Visma controlled strong! I went there quite a bit late. We had to go back to the front five. We left a lot of energy there. Maybe that’s what I’m missing to accompany Martinez to Neronne. This stage was close to my heart even though the short, steep climbs may not be the best for me. I had in mind to do something good here but stages with longer and more regular slopes are coming. It suits me more. I had fun today. I had a good approach to the Tour with a balanced program. The team has good results but all that is missing is victory. We can play on several tables with Bryan and our punchers. I will perhaps rest a few days before leaving! ”

Guillaume Martin: “It was a difficult day. The penultimate climb was fatal for me, the tempo was too high for me and I had to give up. At the top, I don’t miss much to join the yellow jersey group. Being with them I could have recovered and had a better final climb. I was struggling and at the finish I spent quite a bit of time.

Three minutes on a grand lap is not much. I’m not going to give up the overall standings all of a sudden and I might have a few more opportunities to aim for a stage victory. It’s a bad day but there are still plenty of opportunities. Tonight I’m disappointed for the team and for myself, but certainly not down. ”

Nicolas Edet: “This day was a bit strange. There was a lot of movement at the start of the stage. It was important that we were represented in the breakaway. In the final, we had a lot of lead and I understood that the stage victory was going to be played there. Then, we came across stronger and the excess number of Bora and EF made the difference. But I fought for the stage win almost to the end.

Tom Southam, Sport Director EF Cycling: “Obviously delighted for Dani and the whole team. The guys rode great today putting three of them in the move from the start. It was a really difficult start and we got the right guys in there. It was going to be a bit tricky with the composition of the break but a lot of them were pretty tired so it just kind of came down to who was the best, even when Dani was in a bit of a tight spot with the two Bora guys. You could see as soon as Kämna tried attacking him at the bottom of the climb, when they still had 20 seconds to Schachmann, that Dani was the best. He closed the gap so easily and reeled in Schachmann bit by bit and made sure Kämna couldn’t get a jump on him which he did perfectly. We knew he was always going to win the sprint. Today was a good day. And made ever better since we are now back in the lead of the teams classification.”

Simon Geschke (7th): “I was not really sure but I followed one of the first moves and I felt on the first uncategorized climb already that I had the legs today. it was a long fight to get away from the bunch. We went pretty hard on the first categorized climb and in the end, the big chase group joined us. I looked around and saw that there were many strong guys so in the end, I’m really happy to finish in the top ten because it was really a strong breakaway and it was not an easy stage. It was just about the legs and it was a very honest race. I think I tactically did it very well and I’m definitely satisfied with seventh place. It was definitely good for the morale. I was struggling a bit in the first week and on the rest day I had a little cold but today, the legs were definitely there so hopefully it continues like that.”

Miguel Angel Lopez: “The stage was a really tough one and it was not easy to stay in front, but the team supported me very well and I was able to save some energy for the last climb. The pace was very high, especially in the final. I felt quite good today and the legs worked well during the day. I missed just a little to stay there with the first two leaders. But, the main thing is that everything is still open, I am here in the mix, I keep on high my motivation and looking forward to the next stages”

Mollema abandons Tour de France after fracturing wrist in Stage 13 crash
During the 13th Stage of the Tour de France, Trek-Segafredo co-leader Bauke Mollema was involved in a crash that also involved AG2R La Mondiale leader Romain Bardet. Initially he was transported to the race ambulance, then move to a helicopter to be airlifted to Clermont Ferrand Hospital where he underwent X-rays that confirmed a suspected broken left wrist.

Trek-Segafredo physician Gaetano Daniele: “Bauke has sustained a complex fracture of his left wrist: a fracture of the radius and ulnar bones as well as a scaphoid fracture. He is still waiting a CT scan to better understand the situation. At the Hospital in Clermond Ferrand they have already reduced the fracture of the radius that was causing pressure on the Median Nerve and a lot of pain for Bauke, but now he’s okay and pain-free. We are just waiting to finish the scans and decide what kind of surgery and when, but normally it must be done soon.”

Stage
1. Daniel Martinez EF Pro Cycling 05:01:47
2. Lennard Kämna Bora-Hansgrohe @ 04
3. Maximilian Schachmann Bora-Hansgrohe @ 51
4. Valentin Madouas Groupama-FDJ @ 01:33
5. Pierre Rolland B&B Hotels-Vital Concept @ 01:42
6. Nicolas Edet Cofidis @ 01:53
7. Simon Geschke CCC Team @ 02:35
8. Marc Soler Movistar Team @ 02:43
9. Hugh Carthy EF Pro Cycling @ 03:18
10. David De La Cruz UAE Team Emirates @ 03:52
11. Daniel Martin Israel Start-Up Nation @ 04:31
12. Primoz Roglic Leader jersey Team Jumbo – Visma @ 06:05
13. Tadej Pogacar Youth jersey UAE Team Emirates @ 06:05
14. Richie Porte Trek-Segafredo @ 06:18
15. Mikel Landa Bahrain-McLaren @ 06:18
16. Miguel Angel Lopez Astana Pro Team @ 06:21
17. Neilson Powless EF Pro Cycling @ 06:29
18. Egan Bernal INEOS Grenadiers @ 06:43
19. Rigoberto Uran EF Pro Cycling @ 06:43
20. Adam Yates Mitchelton-Scott @ 06:45
21. Nairo Quintana Team Arkea-Samsic @ 06:45

27. Romain Bardet AG2R La Mondiale @ 08:35
29. Guillaume Martin Cofidis @ 08:51
74. Jack Bauer Mitchelton-Scott @ 23:59
87. Luke Rowe INEOS Grenadiers @ 28:10
91. Connor Swift Team Arkea-Samsic @ 28:10
DNF Bauke Mollema Trek-Segafredo

Overall
1. Primoz Roglic Team Jumbo – Visma 56:34:35
2. Tadej Pogacar UAE Team Emirates @ 44
3. Egan Bernal INEOS Grenadiers @ 59
4. Rigoberto Uran EF Pro Cycling @ 01:10
5. Nairo Quintana Team Arkea-Samsic @ 01:12
6. Miguel Angel Lopez Astana Pro Team @ 01:31
7. Adam Yates Mitchelton-Scott @ 01:42
8. Mikel Landa Bahrain-McLaren @ 01:55
9. Richie Porte Trek-Segafredo @ 02:06
10. Enric Mas Movistar Team @ 02:54

29. Hugh Carthy EF Pro Cycling @ 57:13
85. Jack Bauer Mitchelton-Scott @ 02:19:58
113. Connor Swift Team Arkea-Samsic @ 02:43:29
151. Luke Rowe INEOS Grenadiers @ 03:19:40

Full Results Here