A year after thrilling his home nation for a fortnight on last year's Tour de France, Julian Alaphilippe produced an almost carbon-copy capture of a stage win to claim the overall leader's yellow jersey again on Sunday.
On the day's final climb, Alaphilippe launched a blistering attack to clinch bonus seconds at the summit before a white-knuckle descent to the finish line in Nice where the second stage victory also gave him bonus seconds.
Delirious with joy at his repeat performance former soldier Alaphilippe began punching towards the sky, as he turned to see just how close behind him the onrushing peloton was to overtaking his escape trio on the Promenade des Anglais finish line.
He had held off Marc Hirschi to edge home by half a wheel after leaving Britain's Adam Yates behind in a final dart for the line.
The set-up of the second stage was eerily close to how Alaphilippe stole away from the peloton last year on Day 3 to Epernay and eventually led the Tour for 14 days before wilting on the penultimate stage to finish fifth overall.
No Frenchman has won the Tour de France since 1985.
An emotional Alaphilippe dedicated his victory to his late father Jo, who passed away in June at the age of 80 after a long illness.
"It's always special to win on the Tour and it's a strange year. I haven't won a race since the start of the season," Alaphilippe, who was in tears after the race, said. "I continued to work hard and I stayed serious despite the tough times. I just wanted to dedicate this victory to my dad. It was important to me.
"I really wanted to try something and I had nothing to lose. It really hurt me, I was digging deep at the end there.
"It's a great pride and responsibility and I will defend this honour day by day, I won't be giving it up tomorrow that's for sure."
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Gallery from Stage 1 of the Tour
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Norwegian rider Alexander Kristoff, of the UAE Team Emirates, celebrates on the podium wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey after winning Stage 1 of the Tour de France on Saturday, August 29. EPA -
UAE Team Emirates rider Alexander Kristoff celebrates on the podium. AFP -
Kristoff celebrates on the podium. AFP -
Team UAE Emirates rider Alexander Kristoff celebrates his green jersey for best sprinter. AFP -
UAE Team Emirates rider Alexander Kristoff celebrates after winning Stage 1. Reuters -
UAE Team Emirates rider Alexander Kristoff of Norway wins the stage. Reuters -
Alexander Kristoff celebrates after winning the stage. Reuters -
The pack rides during Stage 1. AFP -
The peloton during Stage 1. AFP -
Team Arkea - Samsic rider Kevin Ledanois is checked by medics after falling. AFP -
Italian Marco Marcato with UAE Team Emirates riders. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe -
The peloton pass the Hotel Negresco in Nice. AFP -
Team Mitchelton rider Mikel Nieve sits on the road after crashing. AFP -
The peloton during Stage 1. Reuters -
France's Pierre Latour, right, and Spain's Omar Fraile, left, are helped up after falling. AP -
The peloton during Stage 1. AFP -
The peloton during Stage 1. AFP
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Jumbo-Visma may however be furious at the circumstances accompanying the win.
Shortly after Alaphilippe's attack, Team Ineos' Michal Kwiatkowski somehow backed into Jumbo co-captain Tom Dumoulin and knocked him to the floor.
The Dutch outfit had been leading the head of the peloton all day, but suddenly they had to slow down and abandon their pursuit of Alaphilippe.
It was also a tough day for the sprinters, with Saturday's yellow jersey winner Alexander Kristoff, of UAE Team Emirates, among those to finish over 28 minutes down on Alaphilippe.
