Bora-Hansgrohe giving GC riders no 'easy days' as they race for green jersey at Tour de France
The German team are racing hard to try and break Sam Bennett and help Peter Sagan regain the lead in the points classification

Bora-Hansgrohe are giving the peloton no days off at the 2020 Tour de France, driving the pace hard to cause as much discomfort to Sam Bennett (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) as the German team try and help Peter Sagan reclaim the green jersey.
The fight for the points classification has become an intriguing subplot at the French Grand Tour, usually easily wrapped up by Sagan.
Bennett has a 40-point lead over the seven-times classification winner and is looking good to break the Slovakian's spell, provided he can get to Paris.
"Every day we're racing huh," race leader Primož Roglič said after the finish of stage 14, the yellow jersey having hoped for a day off after the tough Puy Mary summit finish and before the Grand Colombier on stage 15. "I thought after yesterday we'd have an easier day but it was really hard racing again."
Stage winner Søren Kragh Andersen (Sunweb) says Bora's tactics are having a big impact on the race, and are helping Sunweb try for stage honours, taking the really fast sprinters out of contention and opening opportunities to Sunweb's powerful riders.
"It had a big impact on the race, very big in my opinion, because I think they almost split the peloton [today]," Kragh Andersen said after his win.
"They made the race harder than if it had been all together and full gas over the last two climbs. For us, it was the perfect situation because we didn't have sprinters, the fastest guys in the bunch sprint, it was a harder race because of Bora and then we could be aggressive in the final."
"It was a really hard day, Bora really put us under pressure, but we tried our best to keep Sam close over the top of the long climb, and then we were trying to close it afterwards," Kasper Asgreen added, having been one of a few Deceuninck - Quick-Step riders tasked with pacing the team's sprinter through the stage as Bora-Hansgrohe continued to drive a hard pace to not let the Irishman back in the peloton.
"As long as Sam was behind we expected them to keep on the pressure that's for sure. He didn't drop too early, only 2km from the top, he actually rode really well but they were just faster."
The Belgian team say they are confident Bennett will make it to Paris, but Sagan clawed back some points today at both the intermediate sprint and coming fourth over the finish line, the gap now down to 43 points.
Bennett will look to take advantage of the intermediate sprints that are situated before the big climbs over the coming days, and is likely to outsprint Sagan on the Champs-Élysées should he get there.
With the Grand Colombier coming tomorrow on stage 15, followed by the Col de la Loze on stage 17, the mountains may prove the biggest obstacle to Bennett's green dreams, and not the rider who has won the jersey seven times.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Hi. I'm Cycling Weekly's Weekend Editor. I like writing offbeat features and eating too much bread when working out on the road at bike races.
Before joining Cycling Weekly I worked at The Tab and I've also written for Vice, Time Out, and worked freelance for The Telegraph (I know, but I needed the money at the time so let me live).
I also worked for ITV Cycling between 2011-2018 on their Tour de France and Vuelta a España coverage. Sometimes I'd be helping the producers make the programme and other times I'd be getting the lunches. Just in case you were wondering - Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen had the same ham sandwich every day, it was great.
-
-
Doing more cycling in the 'sweetspot' training zone could revolutionise your fitness - here's why
The ‘comfortably hard’ zone just below FTP promises sweet rewards for your aerobic fitness, but how much and how often is best for you? Pro coach Brendan Housler explains
By Brendan Housler • Published
-
Are you getting the most out of Strava? Five tools to enhance your Stava experience
Whether it’s deeper analysis, stitching together activities or showcasing your ride, there’s a lot more you can do with Strava integrations
By Stefan Abram • Published
-
Jai Hindley wants to be the first Australian to win the Giro d'Italia: 'I'm not here to put socks on a centipede'
Bora-Hansgrohe rider sits second on general classification, just seven seconds behind Richard Carapaz
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Lennard Kämna: 'You need passion for cycling, otherwise it’s just a pain'
From being 'on the edge' to enjoying cycling again to winning at the Tour of the Alps
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Aleksandr Vlasov: 'I, like a lot of Russians, just want peace'
Bora-Hansgrohe rider calls for an end to Russia's war in Ukraine
By Adam Becket • Published
-
He wears an iconic Red Bull helmet, but 'I didn’t know what the f**k I was doing': the Bora-Hansgrohe ex-skier and novice cyclist on settling into WorldTour racing
Bora-Hansgrohe signed the German on a two-year deal that will expire at the end of this season
By Chris Marshall-Bell • Published
-
Alexandr Vlasov wins a career-first stage race as Jakobsen takes the final Valenciana stage sprint
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl’s lead out back on top form to deliver the Dutch rider to his second win of the week
By Owen Rogers • Published
-
Bora-Hansgrohe release new-look 2022 kit
A new look for the German team this coming season
By Jonny Long • Published
-
Max Schachmann aims to target third Paris-Nice title in a row whilst maintaining late season form
The German national champion was almost gifted the win at Paris-Nice in 2021 after Primož Roglič crashed twice on final stage
By Tim Bonville-Ginn • Published
-
'It's really big, it shows that I can perform on the top level': Matt Walls jubilant after Gran Piemonte victory
The British rider agreed that his track experience helped him in the hectic finale
By Tim Bonville-Ginn • Published