Tour de France 2024: Campenaerts wins sprint-à-trois, Pogacar still in yellow

foto: Cor VosMichal Kwiatkowski attacks from the lead breakaway in the last of five climbs in the foothills of the Alps. Mattéo Vecher and Victor Campenaerts track him down. It comes down to the sprint with Campenaerts taking the win with a powerfull kick. Tadej Pogacar stays in yellow. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 18th stage 2024 Tour de France

1. Victor Campenaerts (bel)
2. Mattéo Vecher (fra) s.t.
3. Michal Kwiatkowski (pol) s.t.
4. Tom Skujins (lat) + 0.22
5. Oier Lazkano (spa) s.t.
6. Bart Lemmen (nld) s.t.
7. Krist Neilands (lat) s.t.
8. Jai Hindley (aus) s.t.
9. Wout van Aert (bel) + 0.37
10. Michael Matthews (aus) s.t.
– GC riders + 13.40

GC after stage 18
1. Tadej Pogacar (slo)
2. Jonas Vingegaard (den) + 3.11
3. Remco Evenepoel (bel) + 5.09
4. João Almeida (por) + 12.57
5. Mikel Landa (spa) + 13.24
6. Carlos Rodriguez (spa) + 13.30
7. Adam Yates (gbr) + 15.41
8. Giulio Ciccone (ita) + 17.51
9. Derek Gee (can) + 18.15
10. Santiago Buitrago (col) + 18.35

Race report
The breakaway does not take shape until the Col du Festre. Then a huge group – with Richard Carapaz, Ben Healy, Wout Poels, Oier Lazkano, Michael Matthews, Geraint Thomas, Oier Lazkano, Michal Kwiatkowski, Mattéo Vecher, Victor Campenaerts, and Wout van Aert – distances the peloton.

Several riders are dropped from the lead group on the Côte de Saint-Apollinaire, while Michal Kwiatkowski strikes just before the summit of the Côte de Demoiselles Coiffées. Mattéo Vecher and Victor Campenaerts rejoin the Pole with 36 kilometres remaining. By then, the peloton is over 10 minutes adrift.

The three work perfectly together to keep the first chasers – Bart Lemmen, Toms Skujins, Jai Hindley, Krists Neilands, and Oier Lazkano – at bay. In contrast, the cooperation in the group with Wout van Aert is lacking.

It comes down to a three-up sprint in Barcelonnette. Campenaerts kicks hard in the final hundred metres and he powers to the best win in his career.

The peloton crosses the line together, so Tadej Pogacar keeps the yellow jersey.

Another interesting read: route 18th stage 2024 Tour de France.