A Costal Break TdF26-8
The first road stage of the Tour also meant it was time for the first breakaway of the 113th Tour de France. This trio of Frank Van Den Broek (Picnic-PostNL), Felix Englehardt (Jayco-Alula) and Alex Molenaar (Caja Rural-Seguros) got away after about six kilometers as they left Tarragone. I thought I'd try and make a joke about the breakaway riding along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea with the title. I'm not sure I succeed. It was a great day out for Molenaar. By being in the break, he won the intermediate sprint and claimed the next Maillot a Pois of best climber in the Tour. Poor Ban Den Broek cramped as he tried to sprint for those mountain points and quickly found himself back in the peloton after seventy kilometers off the front. The other two weren't caught by the peloton for an additional sixty kilometers. I don't know which of the two will be awarded the most combative rider prize for the stage. Look for one of them to have a red bib number tomorrow.