How The First Seven Tour De France Stages Panned Out

The first seven stages of the 2022 Tour de France featured blockbuster crowds, a heart-wrenching back-from-the-brink triumph and a tale of persistance paying off

Tomblaine, France, July 8 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Jul, 2022 ) :The first seven stages of the 2022 Tour de France featured blockbuster crowds, a heart-wrenching back-from-the-brink triumph and a tale of persistance paying off.

We also had fjords and giant bridges, Normandy beaches, cobbled mining roads and storied climbs.

Here AFP recaps the first third of the 3,350km, 21-stage extravaganza.

Stage 1 - 13km time-trial round Copenhagen Wall of sound reverberates round Copenhagen After a sweltering week, rain began to soak Copenhagen an hour before the Grand Depart. But blockbuster crowds kitted out in colourful ponchos created a wall of sound that reverberated around the city, emotions hitting fever pitch as local lad Jonas Vingegaard raced up Hans Christian Andersen avenue towards the finish line. Belgian Yves Lampaert won the individual test to claim the first yellow jersey. "I beat the big guys," said the crying 31-year-old Quick Step rider. "I'm just a farmer's son, I never expected this." Stage 2 - 202km Roskilde to Nyborg A giant bridge and a second life Rural Denmark also turned out in raucous droves to roar on the riders as Dutchman Fabio Jakobsen won a mass bunch sprint ahead of Wout van Aert, shortly after crossing the 20km Great Belt Bridge over the sea. "It's like a second life.," said the 25-year-old, just two years after a near fatal cycling crash on the Tour of Poland. "I'll remember this day forever," he said. So will Nyborg, which threw the biggest party in its history.

Stage 3 - 182km Vejle - Sonderborg King of the Mountains, King of Denmark Belgian powerhouse Wout van Aert came second for the third time in three days after Dane Magnus Cort Nielsen was cheered along his home roads as he broke away in his polka dot King of the Mountains jersey. Dylan Groenewegen won the stage to mark his comeback after a long ban for causing Jakobsen's crash. "He won yesterday but today was my day," he said.

Stage 4 - 171.5km Dunkirk to Calais If at first you don't succeed.

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After three second places, Van Aert pulled off an almost impossible breakaway over the final 8km, the Jumbo man waved is arms at the finish line, saying "the yellow jersey gave me wings". Behind him, Alpecin rider Jasper Philipsen won a bunch sprint for second and celebrated believing he had won the stage.

Stage 5 - 157km Lille to Arenberg Cobbles, dust and persistance Old cobbled mining roads and billowing clouds of dust were on the menu as Tadej Pogacar gave his rivals a fright by launching an attack to take a few seconds out of everyone as Australian veteran Simon Clarke of Israel Premier Tech won the stage. "I like the cobbles," smiled the 23-year-old Team UAE leader Pogacar. Van Aert held onto the overall lead despite an early fall and said he had dug deep so he could wear the yellow in Belgium on stage six.

Stage 6 - 220km Binche to Longwy Just like the first time Van Aert paraded his yellow jersey through Belgium after a start at Binche, and led for 136km before he was caught. Pogacar then launched a late blistering attack to win the stage and take the yellow jersey. "It feels like the first time," said the defending champion tugging at his yellow shirt. His rivals had seen it all before. Van Aert swapped yellow for green and said "I wanted to remember my last day in yellow, and give my fans something to remember too." Stage 7 - 176km Tomblaine to La Super Planche des Belles FillesGruesome gravel climbPogacar insisted that all the effort he put in here, with 14 stages still to run, had been due to the emblematic nature of La Planche des Belles Filles where he won the Tour de France in 2020. He refused to allow an escape to get away for the win, tracked key rival Vingegaard up the final slope. His kick when it came produced a great, rolling roar of approval from the crowd. An upcoming French heatwave gives his rivals some hope, as the Slovenian's only weak moment last year came in searing conditions.