Victor Campenaerts Secures First Tour de France Stage Win as Tadej Pogacar Holds Overall Lead
Fiona Nanna, ForeMedia News
4 minutes read. Updated 5:12PM GMT Sat, 20July, 2024
Belgium’s Victor Campenaerts triumphed in Stage 18 of the 2024 Tour de France, marking his first-ever stage win in this prestigious event. The 179.5-kilometer route from Gap to Barcelonnette saw Campenaerts break away from the leading group in the final stretch, crossing the finish line in a time of 4 hours, 10 minutes, and 20 seconds.
Race Summary:
The stage was characterized by intense competition among the breakaway group, which included Michal Kwiatkowski of Ineos Grenadiers and Matteo Vercher of TotalEnergies. This trio maintained their lead through five challenging category three climbs. Campenaerts, riding for Lotto–Dstny, made his decisive move with just 100 meters to go, showcasing his remarkable sprinting ability to secure victory.
The main peloton, which included the top general classification contenders, arrived more than 13 minutes later. Despite the gap, Tadej Pogacar retained his overall lead, continuing to wear the yellow jersey with a time of 74 hours, 45 minutes, and 27 seconds. Pogacar’s nearest rival, defending champion Jonas Vingegaard, remains 3 minutes and 11 seconds behind, while Remco Evenepoel is in third place, 5 minutes and 9 seconds off the lead.
Stage Highlights:
Throughout the day, a significant breakaway group of over 30 riders dominated the stage. Notable riders included Kwiatkowski and former Tour champion Geraint Thomas. The group began to fracture during the penultimate climb, with Kwiatkowski leading the descent.
Kwiatkowski, aiming to replicate his stage win from last year’s Tour, was the first to summit the final categorized climb. On the descent, he was joined by Campenaerts and Vercher, forming a leading trio. Despite Vercher’s attack with one kilometer remaining, Campenaerts timed his final push perfectly, crossing the line first.
An emotional Campenaerts shared his joy after the race: “I’ve been dreaming about this for a very long time. My recent personal challenges and the support from my girlfriend, who has been my rock, made this victory even more special. I’m thrilled to end my time with Lotto-Dstny on such a high note.”
Stage 18 Results:
- Victor Campenaerts (Bel/Lotto-Dstny) – 4hrs 10mins 20secs
- Matteo Vercher (Fra/TotalEnergies) – Same time
- Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol/Ineos Grenadiers) – Same time
- Toms Skujins (Lat/Lidl-Trek) – +22secs
- Oier Lazkano (Spa/Movistar) – Same time
- Bart Lemmen (Ned/Visma-Lease a Bike)
- Krists Neilands (Lat/Israel-Premier Tech)
- Jai Hindley (Aus/Red Bull Bora-hansgrohe)
- Wout van Aert (Bel/Visma-Lease a Bike) – +37secs
- Michael Matthews (Aus/Jayco-AlUla) – Same time
General Classification after Stage 18:
- Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) – 74hrs 45mins 27secs
- Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Visma-Lease a Bike) – +3mins 11secs
- Remco Evenepoel (Bel/Soudal-Quick Step) – +5:09
- Joao Almeida (Por/UAE Team Emirates) – +12:57
- Mikel Landa (Spa/Soudal-Quick Step) – +13:24
- Carlos Rodriguez (Spa/Ineos Grenadiers) – +13:30
- Adam Yates (GB/UAE Team Emirates) – +15:41
- Giulio Ciccone (Ita/Lidl-Trek) – +17:51
- Derek Gee (Can/Israel-Premier Tech) – +18:15
- Santiago Buitrago (Col/Bahrain Victorious) – +18:35
For more detailed updates on the 2024 Tour de France, visit the Tour de France Official Website and follow the latest developments on the UCI’s official page.
