Bob Jungels Triumphs in a Solo Raid to Win Stage 9 of the Tour de France
Bob Jungels, riding for the AG2R CITROËN team, claimed victory in stage 9 of the Tour de France with an awe-inspiring solo breakaway of over 60 kilometers. The win marked a significant moment for Jungels, who expressed his elation, saying, “Winning a stage in the Tour de France was a dream come true after the last few years of hardship.”
Jungels further explained, “The last few kilometers were very long, but I knew that victory was close and that I had to stay focused. Today I took all the risks and it paid off.” The Luxembourg individual time-trial champion expressed gratitude to his team and all those who supported him during his journey back to peak performance, stating, “I’m very grateful to the AG2R CITROËN team and all those who have believed in me over the last few months. I’m back to my best and that feels really good.”
Vincent Lavenu, the manager of the AG2R CITROËN team, shared his immense pleasure with Jungels’ victory, emphasizing the significance of the win for the team. Lavenu highlighted the challenges they faced earlier in the Tour, stating, “It’s an immense pleasure after a very difficult start to the Tour de France with the misfortunes of Ben O’Connor and Geoffrey Bouchard.” Lavenu praised Jungels as a “great champion” and commended his exceptional racing performance, which helped boost the morale of the entire team and validate their hard work.
The AG2R CITROËN team’s general manager, Bruno Angles, expressed his admiration for Jungels and the entire team’s outstanding performance and solidarity. Angles congratulated them, stating, “We’re extremely proud that our riders are so proud of our values of solidarity and performance.” He expressed hope for more victories, emphasizing, “We all follow each stage with great fervor, and we hope this victory will call forth others.”
Vincent Cobee, CITROËN’s General Manager, echoed the sentiments of pride and admiration for Jungels’ remarkable comeback after a challenging 2021 season. Cobee praised Jungels’ resilience and described the win as “an immense source of pride for us all.” He conveyed his warm congratulations to Jungels and Vincent Lavenu, expressing CITROËN’s commitment to supporting the team in their pursuit of victory.
This victory adds to the AG2R CITROËN team’s successful track record in the Tour de France, as they raised their arms for the third consecutive year. Previous victories include Nans Peters in 2020 and Ben O’Connor in 2021. In 2022 alone, the team has achieved a total of six victories. Notably, Ben O’Connor won stage three of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya and the Tour du Jura, Marc Sarreau won Cholet-Pays de la Loire, Geoffrey Bouchard triumphed in stage one of the Tour des Alpes, and Bob Jungels became the Luxembourg individual time-trial champion. This win also marked the team’s 498th victory since its establishment in 1992.
Looking at the standings after nine stages, Aurélien Paret-Peintre and Bob Jungels sit in 13th and 16th place overall, respectively. Jungels also holds the 2nd position in the best climber classification.
