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Scooping Up the Points TdF26-129
The third categorized climb of the day was the Cote des Terrasse, and it was the third climb that Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal-Quick Step) got the maximum King of the Mountain points at the summit of. He out sprinted Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) yet again. Behind them were the Lidl-Trek teammates, Mathias Vacek and Mads Pedersen. Why that is important is that Pedersen is wearing the Maillot Vert of the best sprinter in the Tour. Sprinters are known for their climbing abilities, but here he is with the leaders on a mountain stage. Of course, the intermediate sprint is another twenty-four kilometers down the road. His main competitor in the sprint competition is behind the peloton in the grupetto about ten minutes behind the breakaway.