At What Cost? TdF25-4
With the next climb looming, Matteo Vercher (TotalEnergies) jumped free of the peloton. He was chased by Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis) who hoped to gain just one more point in his quest to claim the Maillot a Pois of best climber (to date) of the Tour. The two had been in the early break, but managed to get away the peloton for a second time - a rarity in the modern era of the Tour. The two traded attacks on the way up the Sainte Marie Cappel. It looked like it would go to Vercher, but with a final turn of the crank, Thomas got to the line first. However, as I suspected when I paused the video to paint this, his effort made his rear wheel slide out on the cobblestones and over he went taking Vercher with him. Depending on how he feels for the rest of the Tour, I guess the cost was worth the prize. Vercher didn't go unrewarded. He was named the most aggressive rider of the first stage of the 2025 Tour de France.