Victor Campenaerts secured a career-defining victory in the 18th stage of the Tour de France, out-sprinting Michal Kwiatkowski and Matteo Vercher in a thrilling finale in Barcelonnette.
The 180-kilometre stage from Gap to Barcelonnette began with a flurry of attacks as riders sought to break away early. The peloton, maintaining a high speed, thwarted all initial attempts until a sizeable group finally managed to escape on the first climb of the day, the Col du Festre. This group of 36 riders included notable names like Richard Carapaz and Geraint Thomas.
As the stage progressed, the breakaway group worked together through the subsequent climbs, maintaining a significant lead over the peloton. Ben Healy made several attempts to attack from this group on the Cote de Saint-Apollinaire but was eventually dropped as the pace increased.
The pivotal moment came on the Cote des Demoiselles Coiffées, where Michal Kwiatkowski made a decisive move and was joined by Victor Campenaerts and Matteo Vercher. This trio collaborated well, extending their lead as counter-attacks from the chasing group were too slow to respond effectively.
In the final kilometres, Vercher launched an attack, but Campenaerts, staying on Kwiatkowski’s wheel, timed his sprint perfectly to surge ahead and claim the victory. The peloton, including the main general classification contenders, finished 13 minutes and 40 seconds behind the breakaway trio, as the stage win was decided among the front group.
Photo Credit: ASO-Charly LopezPost-stage reaction
Victor Campenaerts, who had endured a challenging season, was emotional after his victory. The Belgian rider, who had been part of the breakaway for most of the day, celebrated his win with a video call to his partner and newborn. “After the classics, I had a very difficult time,” Campenaerts shared tearfully. “I had a verbal agreement with the team about extending the contract, and I got ignored for a long time. It was really difficult. I was on a long altitude camp, but my girlfriend was there and she supported me every day, highly pregnant. I was struggling to finish my training schedules. But I changed my mind, I have a bright future now still in cycling. I became a father and it was like blue skies, only blue sky.”
Matteo Vercher, who finished second, was visibly disappointed at the finish. Having crashed in the neutralised section, he showed remarkable resilience to compete for the stage win.
Michal Kwiatkowski, the former world champion, took third place. Despite being one of the favourites for the stage win, he was out-sprinted by Campenaerts in the final moments.
Team Visma | Lease a Bike’s Bart Lemmen and Wout van Aert also had notable performances, finishing sixth and ninth respectively. Lemmen reflected on his effort, saying, “I felt very good, but the last hour I was suffering tremendously. Because of all the work on the road I was drained. I kept cheering myself up to keep going. When the group was still complete, I reacted to all attacks to play the team game in service of Wout. Later I found myself in an advantageous position. Unfortunately, we couldn’t join the leading group, but I enjoyed this stage.”
Van Aert, who finished in ninth place, acknowledged the difficulty of the day’s racing. “I could not react when Kwiatkowski accelerated. He was riding very hard. I gambled for a moment by not reacting to Campenaerts’ acceleration. In hindsight, I missed a place in the right breakaway there. After that, it was a long chase. My compliments to the three leaders who managed to stay in front. Bart was also very strong today. It’s nice for him to get a top-ten place in the Tour.”
As the race moves into its final stages, the riders are bracing for a tough weekend in the mountains. Friday’s stage to the ski resort of Isola 2000 promises further challenges with climbs above 2,000 metres, including the ascent to the summit of La Bonette, the highest road in France at 2,802 metres.
(Photo Credit: ASO – Billy Ceusters)
2024 Tour de France Stage 18 result
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Main photo credit: Dario Belingheri/AFP/Getty Images
