
Tour de la Provence
Stage 3) Istres – Mont Ventoux
France
Saturday 13 February 2021
153.9 km
Alaphilippe displays panache on Mont Ventoux

Julian Alaphilippe left another indelible impression, this time on the punishingly steep gradients of Mont Ventoux, which awaited the Tour de la Provence riders on a cold Saturday afternoon. The rainbow jersey wearer was in the thick of the action in the last five kilometers of the climb to Chalet Reynard (14.6km, 7.6%), when attacks came from a depleted peloton which until the base of the ascent had been led by a very impressive Deceuninck – Quick-Step.
Second-year pro Mauri Vansevenant assumed pace-setting duties as the road began to rise, producing an outstanding effort and keeping the strung-out group within touching distance of sole leader Ivan Sosa (Ineos Grenadiers) before Alaphilippe made his move with a trademark acceleration. Dancing on the pedals, the 28-year-old Frenchman set out in purchase of the Colombian inside four kilometers to go, with only Egan Bernal capable of sticking to his wheel.
Climbing superbly and breathing panache at all times despite the ascent ramping up to double-digit gradients, the World Champion launched several powerful accelerations in an effort to dispatch his companion and take back time, before eventually coming across the line in third place for his first podium of the season, which puts him in the same position on the general classification with one stage left.
“I am pretty happy with my shape. Today was a good test and I can be content with how I did on a hard climb that commands respect, even though we didn’t go all the way to the summit. The team was incredible in the way it controlled the race, from the beginning until the start of the climb. Having Mauri by my side in the last kilometers helped a lot and I am very proud of the way he rode, he was so strong and impressive and deserves to be eighth overall. We showed again why we are the Wolfpack and, at the end of the day, I have no regrets. It’s a good result, one that gives me confidence for the next goals”, Julian explained after the race.
Photo credit: ©James Startt/Agence ZOOM
Race details
1 |
Iván Ramiro Sosa Cuervo INEOS Grenadiers |
4:08:14 |
2 |
Egan Bernal Gómez INEOS Grenadiers |
0:15 |
3 |
Julian Alaphilippe
Deceuninck - Quick Step |
0:18 |
4 |
Wout Poels Bahrain - Victorious |
0:29 |
5 |
Jesús Herrada López Cofidis, Solutions Crédits |
0:48 |
6 |
Giulio Ciccone Trek - Segafredo |
0:48 |
7 |
Bauke Mollema Trek - Segafredo |
0:48 |
8 |
Mauri Vansevenant
Deceuninck - Quick Step |
0:48 |
9 |
Jack Haig Bahrain - Victorious |
0:48 |
10 |
Patrick Konrad BORA - hansgrohe |
0:48 |
73 |
Zdeněk Štybar
Deceuninck - Quick Step |
11:10 |
80 |
Yves Lampaert
Deceuninck - Quick Step |
12:14 |
91 |
Davide Ballerini
Deceuninck - Quick Step |
15:12 |
98 |
Rémi Cavagna
Deceuninck - Quick Step |
15:12 |
122 |
Kasper Asgreen
Deceuninck - Quick Step |
21:08 |
1 |
Iván Ramiro Sosa Cuervo INEOS Grenadiers |
13:13:16 |
2 |
Egan Bernal Gómez INEOS Grenadiers |
0:19 |
3 |
Julian Alaphilippe
Deceuninck - Quick Step |
0:21 |
4 |
Wout Poels Bahrain - Victorious |
0:39 |
5 |
Bauke Mollema Trek - Segafredo |
0:57 |
6 |
Patrick Konrad BORA - hansgrohe |
0:58 |
7 |
Jack Haig Bahrain - Victorious |
0:58 |
8 |
Mauri Vansevenant
Deceuninck - Quick Step |
0:58 |
9 |
Jesús Herrada López Cofidis, Solutions Crédits |
0:58 |
10 |
Aleksandr Vlasov Astana - Premier Tech |
0:58 |
77 |
Zdeněk Štybar
Deceuninck - Quick Step |
14:50 |
79 |
Davide Ballerini
Deceuninck - Quick Step |
15:02 |
94 |
Rémi Cavagna
Deceuninck - Quick Step |
19:15 |
107 |
Kasper Asgreen
Deceuninck - Quick Step |
24:46 |
115 |
Yves Lampaert
Deceuninck - Quick Step |
28:09 |
1 |
Davide Ballerini
Deceuninck - Quick Step |
30 pt |
2 |
Giulio Ciccone Trek - Segafredo |
18 pt |
3 |
Arnaud Démare Groupama - FDJ |
12 pt |
4 |
Iván Ramiro Sosa Cuervo INEOS Grenadiers |
11 pt |
5 |
Julian Alaphilippe
Deceuninck - Quick Step |
11 pt |
6 |
Delio Fernández Cruz DELKO |
10 pt |
7 |
Eduard-Michael Grosu DELKO |
10 pt |
8 |
Egan Bernal Gómez INEOS Grenadiers |
10 pt |
9 |
Nacer Bouhanni Team Arkéa Samsic |
10 pt |
10 |
Alex Aranburu Deba Astana - Premier Tech |
10 pt |
35 |
Mauri Vansevenant
Deceuninck - Quick Step |
1 pt |
1 |
Iván Ramiro Sosa Cuervo INEOS Grenadiers |
13:13:16 |
2 |
Egan Bernal Gómez INEOS Grenadiers |
0:19 |
3 |
Mauri Vansevenant
Deceuninck - Quick Step |
0:58 |
4 |
Aleksandr Vlasov Astana - Premier Tech |
0:58 |
5 |
Aurélien Paret-Peintre AG2R Citroën Team |
1:28 |
6 |
Matteo Jorgenson Movistar Team |
1:28 |
7 |
Carlos Rodriguez Cano INEOS Grenadiers |
2:18 |
8 |
Ide Schelling BORA - hansgrohe |
3:06 |
9 |
Abner González Rivera Movistar Team |
3:35 |
10 |
Harold Tejada Canacue Astana - Premier Tech |
4:29 |
1 |
Filippo Conca Lotto Soudal |
15 pt |
2 |
Jérôme Cousin Team Total Direct Energie |
9 pt |
3 |
Delio Fernández Cruz DELKO |
9 pt |
4 |
Julian Alaphilippe
Deceuninck - Quick Step |
7 pt |
5 |
Alessandro Fedeli DELKO |
6 pt |
6 |
Samuel Leroux Xelliss - Roubaix Lille Métropole |
6 pt |
7 |
Iván Ramiro Sosa Cuervo INEOS Grenadiers |
5 pt |
8 |
Mauri Vansevenant
Deceuninck - Quick Step |
5 pt |
9 |
Florian Vermeersch Lotto Soudal |
4 pt |
10 |
Nicola Bagioli |
4 pt |
15 |
Zdeněk Štybar
Deceuninck - Quick Step |
2 pt |
20 |
Davide Ballerini
Deceuninck - Quick Step |
1 pt |
1 | INEOS Grenadiers | 39:42:41 |
2 | Bahrain - Victorious | 0:44 |
3 | BORA - hansgrohe | 2:45 |
4 | AG2R Citroën Team | 3:29 |
5 | Astana - Premier Tech | 3:50 |
6 | Movistar Team | 4:28 |
7 | Team Qhubeka ASSOS | 6:39 |
8 | Cofidis, Solutions Crédits | 9:00 |
9 | Deceuninck - Quick Step | 9:53 |
10 | Team Arkéa Samsic | 11:35 |