News : Tagessieg – Viviani front – Sport

Peter Sagan braked shortly after the finish line and made his way to the award ceremony. But he did not look really happy. Even in Nancy the Slovakian sprinter from the German team Bora was not allowed to celebrate his desired stage victory. He was second in one section of the Tour de France, fifth in another, and now finished fourth. But after all, Sagan defended the green jersey so he was allowed on the podium. "Things are going well, sometimes things are going badly," Sagan said afterwards, one of his standard sentences: "I'll keep trying, I'm not under pressure."

Victory on the gently sloping Boulevard d'Austrisie in Nancy was secured by Italian Elia Viviani ahead of Norwegian Alexander Kristoff - the second victory of the day for Quick Step in a row. German riders, on the other hand, did not play a role in the fast final like at the opening event in Brussels. The veteran André Greipel, 36, as twelfth was still the best. It's been difficult without a strong team, it was chaotic, everyone pulled out their elbows, "said the Rostocker, after all eleven times already Tour de France stage winner, who seemed quite frustrated:" Sagan can ride uphill, Viviani can go uphill 'Many good sprinters can go uphill - except me.'

In recent years, the German starters had good chances of success, not least at Sprints. Not this time anymore. Marcel Kittel and John Degenkolb are missing, Greipel is no longer in the form of previous years, and Rick Zabel is not fast enough for such arrivals. For this, the Germans are focusing on sections with other profiles - as on Wednesday. Since the fifth stage leads over very hilly course through the Vosges to Colmar. It is a route, as they could meet the Berlin Maximilian Schachmann.