Tour de France - Pogacar storms into the yellow jersey - Vingegaard left behind
Tadej Pogacar puffed out his chest, after setting a heavy blow on his rival Jonas Vingegaard amidst the meter-high snowdrifts on the Alpine giant Col du Galibier during the 111th Tour de France. The two-time Tour Champion made a significant step towards his third overall win with a spectacular showdown against the Giants, distancing the Dane for the first time at an altitude of 2642 meters and taking the Yellow Jersey from Olympic champion Richard Carapaz (Ecuador) after a breathtaking descent in Valloire.
Pogacar took the stage win alone on the fourth stage with a 35-second advantage over young star Remco Evenepoel, while Vingegaard lost more time as fifth place and is now significantly behind. Due to bonus seconds, Pogacar now has a 45-second lead over Evenepoel and a 50-second lead over Vingegaard in the overall standings.
"I'm really happy, that was the plan and we executed it well. It was a dream stage for me. I wanted to hit hard today, I trained a lot for that," said the cycling star.
Roglic and Evenepoel were no match for Vingegaard
Moreover, it seems clear that Vingegaard is the only rider who can seriously challenge Pogacar for the win. Only the Dane was able to offer some resistance in the explosive sprints of the extraordinary champion. Team-mate Primoz Roglic from the German Red Bull Team was no match for him, managing to limit the damage.
What a great duel on the first high mountain stage, which led back to France. How fiercely Pogacar seized the initiative 823 meters before the summit, but Vingegaard made his life hard on the 139.6-kilometer long stage from Pinerolo to Valloire. Eventually, the resistance was broken. Upon arrival at the summit, the Slovenian had not only a seven-second lead, but also eight bonus seconds in his pocket. And on the rapid descent at a speed of 90 km/h, Pogacar continued to widen the gap.
Spacecraft on the Galibier in action
The 23-kilometer long and an average of 5.1% steep ascent to the Galibier was the stage. The day before, snowplows had cleared the pass road. On the mythical mountain, which was first included in the Tour program in 1911, it had still been snowing a month ago. Opened to the public traffic was the Galibier only on June 23. What a contrast for the cycling pros, who had to fight with temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius at the Tour start in Italy over the weekend.
And Pogacar's overwhelming UAE team set a hellish tempo on the ramps. Notable stars like former Tour winners Geraint Thomas (Great Britain) and Egan Bernal (Colombia) or all the helpers of Vingegaard were dropped early.
Even before the descent from Col de Montgenèvre, the last climb, Pogacar had his UAE squad set the tempo, causing a large hole in the peloton to form. Vingegaard, unlike Primoz Roglic, was not caught off guard by the sudden attack, and calm returned quickly.
The print is not with me," Vingegaard had said before the duel. For the 27-year-old, who had suffered several rib fractures, a lung contusion, and a pneumothorax in the spring at the Basque Country-Tour, the priority was to prevent Pogacar from escaping. Already on Sunday, Vingegaard had bravely parried Pogacar's attacks during the first power test in San Luca.
Politt in the breakaway group
A 17-member breakaway group determined the action on the first Alpine stage. This group included Nils Politt from the Pogacar team, but this was only due to the fact that he could still help his captain after the first two mountain rankings of the day.
After the mountain ordeals, the sprinters can hope for a mass sprint on Wednesday on the fifth stage over 177.4 kilometers from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Saint-Vulbas. Only two lighter climbs of the fourth category need to be dealt with.
Tadej Pogacar's teammate, Primoz Roglic, struggled against Vingegaard's resistance, while Roglic's teammate Evenepoel also faced challenges. The UCI WorldTour race is being held in international locations, including France and Italy, and Eritrean rider Richard Carapaz was previously in possession of the Yellow Jersey. Jonas Vingegaard's fighting spirit was evident as he bravely faced Pogacar's attacks in previous stages. Remco Evenepoel, a young star in cycling, is currently trailing behind both Pogacar and Vingegaard in the overall standings. Tadej Pogacar's impressive performance on the Col du Galibier during the Tour de France earned him a significant lead, placing him in a strong position for a potential third overall win.
The international cycling circuit, including the Tour de France, features challenging stages like the one at Col du Galibier in the Alps. Cyclists must adapt to varying weather conditions, such as the metre-high snowdrifts encountered during the race. The UAE team, led by Tadej Pogacar, set a demanding pace on the steep ascents, dropping several notable riders, including former Tour winners. Professional cyclists like Geraint Thomas and Egan Bernal had to contend with weather differences between the Italian Tour start and the snowy Galibier summit.
