Anthony Turgis won the 9th stage of Le Tour de France impressively, adding his name to the honours list of the greatest race of all. This was a historic victory for our rider and for the entire Team TotalEnergies.
The 9th stage of Le Tour de France had everything it took to make this 2024 edition an unforgettable one. From the outset, the 14 white roads promised a race of twists and turns with an unpredictable finish. From the very first kilometres, numerous attempts were made to break away from the peloton, including Mathieu Burgaudeau. But the good breakaway didn’t come until a little later, and Anthony Turgis was part of it, along with 9 other riders, who were later joined by two more men.
This leading group of 12 riders never managed to build up a substantial lead over the peloton, which quickly split into several groups as it crossed the first white roads. At km 83, Anthony Turgis also won the intermediate sprint in Fontette. In an atypical setting and in the dust of the roads, the breakaway continued to make headway despite pressure from the chasing pack and a fine but stable lead. The leading group worked well together and managed to get through the different difficulties of the day, often in a crazy atmosphere in the Champagne vineyards.
With 12 km to go, Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek) set off alone at the front of the race. Behind him, the other breakaway riders, such as Anthony Turgis, didn’t give up and did everything they could to catch the frontrunner. After the flamme rouge, the Belgian rider was reeled in and a breathless final was in store. While Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) and Alexey Lutsenko (Astana Qazaqstan Team) tried to attack, Anthony Turgis remained in ambush, firmly in the wheels. With composure, our rider waited for the best moment to make his move, and managed to win the sprint ahead of his breakaway rivals!
In front of a large crowd at the finish line in Troyes, Anthony achieved the greatest victory of his career, and his first Grand Tour success! Our rider was imperious in the final and managed the last few hectometres perfectly to win the 9th stage of the Tour de France. Understandably emotional after the finish, Anthony Turgis was able to savour this immense success with his family, his team-mates and all the staff of the Team.
At the end of an unusual stage that lived up to all its promises, the Team left Troyes with a major success, the first for the team on Le Tour de France since 2017! An individual success for Anthony Turgis, of course, but also a collective one, rewarding the work of the whole Team!