Stage 2 — Lauwin-Planque > MĂ»r-de-Bretagne¶
July 06, 2025
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In the town square of Lauwin-Planque, the peloton is a kaleidoscope of colours and helmets, a living organism that twitches with the moderate crosswinds. Ana Luisa Ponsirenas is part of this entity, her movements a mirror of its collective instincts and fears.
Minutes into the second stage, six riders break away, a quicksilver ribbon that stretches the peloton. Ana watches them go, her heart rate a steady 137 bpm. Today, she's not a gambler. She's a calculator.
Her power output hums at 85.3 watts, a figure that doesn't narrate the mental arithmetic, the constant evaluation of effort versus reward. It doesn't speak of the gap she intuitively maintains from the wheel in front, the way she slips into the slipstream, a spectre in the wind.
The kilometres tick by, each one a heartbeat in the rhythm of the race. Ana doesn't surge or break away. This is a race of patience and preservation, a game of chess on wheels.
The finish line in Mûr-de-Bretagne looms in her mind, the steep climb that's been lurking in the back of her mind. Mathieu van der Poel, his shoulders suddenly taut, his legs turning into pistons, breaks away from the group with 300 meters to the summit.
Ana watches him go, the peloton splintering behind him. She doesn’t chase. The mountain is a challenge she has to meet on her own terms. The power surges are for the sprinters and the puncheurs, not for her, not today.
Her breathing is rhythmic, her heart rate steady. She focuses on the tarmac, each pedal stroke a commitment. She's not in this race for the yellow jersey. She's here for the journey, for the personal growth that comes with each stage.
Ana crosses the finish line in Mûr-de-Bretagne, sweat pooling along her spine, her legs heavy with the effort. But her head is held high. She’s completed her second stage of this Tour de France, living the race from the inside.
She smiles, a quiet satisfaction in her eyes. This is her Tour de France. This is her ride.
Stage: Lauwin-Planque > Mûr-de-Bretagne
Winner: Mathieu van der Poel
Role: peloton
Words: 343
Generated: July 08, 2025 at 05:24 PM