It’s far from being a Sunday outing for this last stage of the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var. The third race is intended to be shorter, a little over 3 hours, but these 131 kilometers include two first category passes and sprints, enough to put the peloton to the test. In the last kilometer, it was Aurélien Paret-Peinte who first crossed the finish line of the stage, Vauquelin won the Tour.
This Sunday February 19 marks the final stage of the 55th edition of the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var. This third day on the roads of the Côte d’Azur will punctuate this Tour which has given pride of place, for the moment, to the young Kévin Vauquelin. It was he who won the first stage.
The yellow jersey is closely followed in the standings by the American Neilson Powless, who came second in the Saturday’s stage. He is the strong man of this beginning of the year 2023 who won the 45th edition of the Grand Prix La Marseillaise on January 29, 2023, an event broadcast on France 3 Côte d’Azur. Powerless sIt is also imposed during the Etoile de Bessèges on February 5th.
Before returning to the village of Vence, a lot of movement. Aurélien Paret-Peintre is in the lead 3 kilometers from the finish. 14 seconds gap before the pursuers. He wins the stage at the finish.
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The yellow jersey is not far away. Kévin Vauquelin ends up winning the general classification. It’s a double for the French.
Each team protects the one they want to win the race. Romain Grégoire was rewarded with the title of the most combative runner.
Still no attack, the rise of the Sine is engaged, it is more than 4000 meters with a steep part between 10 and 15%. The runners evolve under the encouragement of the public. Powless is ahead, the first 4 riders overall are still ahead of the peloton. We enter the last 5 kilometers.
David Gaudu comes out of the peloton, as does Aurélien Paret-Peintre who is ahead of everyone.
No breakaway less than 15 kilometers from the finish, the peloton is riding stretched out, but for the moment, no breakaway or attack, unlike the first kilometers of this 3rd stage which connects Villefranche-sur-Mer and Vence .
The riders will attack the 3rd GPM and the climb of the Sine before returning to Saint-Paul-de-Vence.
The Tourettes-sur-Loup sprint ended in a favorable ranking for the French once again. It is won by Aurélien Paret-Peintre, followed by Neilson Powless and Kévin Vauquelin.
The first takes 3 bonus seconds, it’s 2 seconds for the American and one for the yellow jersey.
We went below the 20 kilometer mark before arriving in Vence.
At 40 kilometers from the finish, the peloton catches up with Romain Grégoire. The mass of runners is led by EF Education-EasyPost, the American team of Neilson Powless, presented before this Tour as one of the favorites.
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We are approaching the remaining 30 kilometres. Four team members show determination.
A long descending portion towards the Loup valley presents itselfwhile Neilson Powless makes a first attack.
Romain Grégoire is still in the lead with a minute in advance while the runners are on the winding roads around Saint-Jeannet. A tortuous and fast route. The gap narrowed between Grégoire and the pursuers. More than 30 seconds difference.
The peloton is evolving in single file, the roads are too narrow on this section. At 16, Romain Grégoire continued his efforts but the gap narrowed, second after second.
The peloton ended up catching up with the Groupama-FDJ rider, only a few meters between the peloton and Grégoire.
The second GPM carried out at the Col de Châteauneuf delivers a 100% tricolor result. David Gaudu wins, ahead of Romain Bardet, Victor Lafay, Thibaut Pinot and Aurélien Paret-Peintre.
At 3:15 p.m., there is a new abandonment. Dane Emil Vinjebo has thrown in the towel. He is the second rider to retire since the start of this third stage.
At the same time, the France 3 teams enter the race, broadcast live on the air.
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At 3:30 p.m., half of the course was completed. The descent from Châteauneuf greatly stretches the peloton in which the Trek-Segafredo battles.
Romain Grégoire is in front, he is 13th in the general classification, at 39 seconds. The next few minutes may change everything for him.
The 4th of the last Tour de France, David Gaudu, is illustrated this Sunday. He is in the leading group which is always made up of ten riders. At 2:45 p.m., he was in the lead with Félix Gall, Aurélien Paret-Peintre, Kenny Elissonde, Romain Bardet, Hugh John Carthy, Fabien Doubey, Sandy Dujardin, Jonas Wilsly and Clément Champoussin. A predominantly tricolor group.
At 20 seconds, Kévin Vauquelin, the yellow jersey, is in a second group, the peloton follows behind.
The first sprint begins after 40 kilometers covered, near Peille. Aurélien Paret-Peintre and Félix Gall are in first and second place (AG2R Citroën Team), David Gaudu is third.
The peloton is in the hard from the first kilometers, an ascent which must lead it up to 507 meters of altitude for this category 1 pass.
A first attack was launched by Tom Mainguenaud and Sandy Dujardin. Joined by Alexis Guérin, they quickly form a leading trio. Lots of moves and counters are thrown by different runners.
And group of ten finally formed in front, around 2 p.m., after a dozen kilometers swallowed. Among them David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), Félix Gall, Aurélien Paret-Peintre (AG2R Citroën Team). Bardet is also in the lot.
This start of the race took place in ideal conditions, the sun is present but behind cloud cover and the temperature barely exceeds 15°C.
The first Grand Prix de la Montagne was won by Gaudu, followed by Carthy, Bardet, Paret-Peintre and Gall. The French stand out at the start of the race.
The Italian drove for a long time in the lead of the race on Saturday. This Sunday, however, the 20-year-old DSM rider did not start. 116 participants are taking part in this third and final stage of the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var.
It’s a track that will make the bodies of the riders suffer this Sunday. This third stage between Villefranche-sur-Mer and Vence will quickly take them far from the coast, and bring them closer to the Alps. A fictitious start at 1:25 p.m. will quickly give way to the real start in Little Africa.
The route – visible below in 3D – will for example travel on the roads of the municipalities of Peille, Tourette-Levens, Aspremont and Colomars, before returning to the Var plain, near Carros, Saint-Jeannet and Gattières.
The yellow jersey is still on the shoulders of French rider Kévin Vauquelin, 21. He was also awarded the title of best young rider after Saturday’s stage between Mandelieu and Antibes.
The green jersey best sprinter was won by Mattias Skjelmose Jensen, the Dane who won at the end of the second stage after a final sprint. He took the advantage over Thibaut Pinot at the penultimate corner leading to the Antiboise finish line.
The best climber is the French Mathieu Burgaudwho made a thunderous descent over the last kilometers on Saturday, enough to position him as a favorite time for the victory of the second stage.
The summary of this second stage of the Tour of the Alpes-Maritimes and the Varfrom Saturday February 18, can be found on video.
Only a few hours left before knowing who will succeed Nairo Quintana, the Colombian and winner of the 2022 edition of this Riviera Tour. Answer around 5 p.m.