Victor Campenaerts of Lotto–Dstny delivered a masterful performance to secure his first-ever Tour de France stage win in a dramatic sprint finish on Stage 18, a 179.5-kilometer hilly route from Gap to Barcelonnette.
The Belgian cyclist was part of a leading trio alongside Michal Kwiatkowski and Matteo Vercher. Displaying tactical brilliance, Campenaerts waited patiently behind his competitors before unleashing a powerful sprint in the final 200 meters, crossing the finish line ahead of his rivals.
Emotions ran high as the 32-year-old immediately connected with his girlfriend and newborn child via video call after his victory. Overcome with tears, Campenaerts expressed the significance of this achievement.
“I’ve been dreaming about this for a very, very long time,” he said, struggling to speak through his emotions. “After the Classics, I had a very difficult time. I had a verbal agreement with the team about extending the contract and I got ignored for a long time. It was really difficult.”
He credited his girlfriend for her unwavering support during his challenging training period. “She is the hero in this story. I’m so grateful that she made this possible, that I had a super long altitude camp to prepare for this Tour de France,” Campenaerts shared. “I will be leaving the team, but I’m so happy that I can finish off with maybe the highlight of my career.”
The decisive moment unfolded when Campenaerts, Kwiatkowski, and Vercher broke away from the peloton about 35 kilometers from the finish. Despite a group of five riders attempting to close the gap, the trio maintained a steady pace, keeping the chasers at bay. In the final stretch, Campenaerts timed his move perfectly, overtaking Kwiatkowski and Vercher, who could not match his surge.
TotalEnergies’ Matteo Vercher, who overcame an early crash in the neutral zone at the start of the stage, finished second, with Ineos Grenadiers’ Michal Kwiatkowski taking third place. The chasing group, including notable riders like Jai Hindley and Wout Van Aert, crossed the line 22 seconds later.
Meanwhile, the overall contenders, including yellow jersey holder Tadej Pogacar, finished nearly 14 minutes behind as they conserved energy ahead of the upcoming mountain stages. Pogacar retained his lead, standing three minutes and 11 seconds ahead of Jonas Vingegaard.
As the Tour heads into the Alps, riders prepare for Stage 19, a challenging 145-kilometer journey from Embrun to Isola 2000. Campenaerts, exhilarated by his triumph, looked forward to celebrating his hard-fought victory. “We will celebrate tonight!” he exclaimed.
Reference(s):
Campenaerts prevails in trio sprint to win Tour de France stage 18
cgtn.com
