Tour de France

Denmark's Kragh Andersen scores first Tour de France win on stage 14

Issued on: 12/09/2020 - 18:46

Sunweb rider Denmark's Soren Kragh Andersen solos to stage 14 victory, 12 September 2020. POOL/AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

Soren Kragh Andersen timed his effort to perfection to win the 14th stage of the Tour de France, a 194.5-km ride from Clermont-Ferrand on Saturday.

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Kragh Andersen attacked with just under three kilometres to go. The Team Sunweb rider never looked back as Slovenian Luka Mezgec took second place and Italian Simone Consonni came home third, 15 seconds behind.

🎬 Relive the final kilometre in Lyon and 🇩🇰 Søren Kragh Andersen's brilliant win after a late attack!

🎬 Retrouvez le dernier kilomètre à Lyon avec la victoire en solitaire de 🇩🇰 Søren Kragh Andersen après une attaque à 3km de l'arrivée#TDF2020 pic.twitter.com/dLX8wgP90k
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) September 12, 2020

Slovenian Primoz Roglic retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey ahead of Sunday 15th stage, a 174.5-km mountain trek ending up the Col du Grand Colombier.

Roglic, a former ski jumper, remained 44 seconds ahead of his fellow Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, and 59 clear of Egan Bernal, the defending champion.

Triple world champion Peter Sagan regained some ground on points green jersey Sam Bennett when he finished fourth after the Irishman was dropped early on and could not fight for victory in the finale.

The hard climbs of @LeTour are easier when every spectator becomes your teammate. I'd like to thank the French public and all fans from all over the world for their amazing support on the road, each and every day. MERCI !! @VelonCC pic.twitter.com/FUL7iW3K5Y
— Peter Sagan (@petosagan) September 12, 2020

Bennett, who is looking to become the first Irishman since Sean Kelly in 1989 to win the green jersey, leads with 262 to Sagan’s 219.

Sagan is hoping to claim a record-extending eighth green jersey but he has been far from his best this season.

His Bora-Hansgrohe team set a fast tempo on an early climb to split the bunch and Bennett found himself trailing and unable to come back despite a long chase with his Deceuninck-Quick Step team mates, but Sagan could not deliver a win.

There were multiple attacks in the short climb up to the Col de la Croix Rousse in the finale, but Kragh Andersen was patient and he jumped away at the right moment.

“I waited for the right moment. Some riders attacked but I waited. When I saw that there was a quiet moment, I went,” said Kragh Andersen, who gave Sunweb their second victory in this year’s Tour after Swiss Marc Hirschi won the 12th stage in Sarran on Thursday.

“When I saw Marc win and I when I look at the dynamic of the team, it’s great. We talk to each other and we’re developing as a team.”

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(with Reuters, AP)