Vingegaard shocks Pogacar after verbal duel
Favorites dominate the eleventh stage of the Tour de France. Tadej Pogacar attacks the peloton and splits the group of classification riders, but Jonas Vingegaard fights back and wins the stage. Primoz Roglic crashes shortly before the finish.
Tadej Pogacar aimed to shock the competition through the Central Massif climb, but in the end, Jonas Vingegaard's counter move hindered the Tour de France leader. Although Pogacar extended his lead in the general classification, the unexpected victory in Le Lioran ski resort went to Vingegaard. Pogacar's plan for the final climb before the Pyrenees failed, and instead, the race is now heading for a two-man battle with Vingegaard.
In the general classification, Pogacar now leads by 1 minute and 6 seconds over Time Trial World Champion Remco Evenepoel, who showed surprising weaknesses on the last four climbs within the final 50 kilometers. Vingegaard is third, 1 minute and 14 seconds behind, and Roglic, the Red Bull team captain, is 2 minutes and 45 seconds back, having crashed shortly before the finish.
Pogacar's team kept the tempo high all day, leading to a surprising average speed of 42.5 km/h over the 211 kilometers and 4,350 height meters. Thirty kilometers before the finish, Pogacar launched his attack, which no one could follow initially. He built a lead of over 30 seconds on Vingegaard and others. "Tadej, no one is reacting, keep your tempo. Ride with your head," Pogacar received via team radio.
However, Vingegaard recovered and caught Pogacar 17 kilometers before the finish at the penultimate mountain pass. Pogacar secured the largest time bonus on the pass but had to give up the larger credit in the finish to Vingegaard.
Peloton sets off with brutal tempo
The anticipated exchange between Pogacar and defending champion Vingegaard was eagerly anticipated after numerous bitter comments were exchanged during the rest day. Pogacar complained that Vingegaard was just hanging on his wheel, while Belgian second-placed Remco Evenepoel accused the Dane of lacking "balls."
Vingegaard countered by stating that he had merely driven intelligently. Pogacar's team car did not wait for him before the ride through the Central Massif. "That's nonsense," Pogacar retorted. "For me, it's intelligent to be in the Yellow Jersey and have a lead. Intelligence is important, but in the Tour, you need the best legs."
The day began brutally, following a leisurely Tuesday stage. The peloton covered the first two hours at an average speed of nearly 50 km/h, only to regroup and calm down slightly. The UAE team of Pogacar never let the breakaway get more than three minutes ahead and quashed the attempt 32 kilometers before the finish. Less than 400 meters later, Pogacar attacked.
After the climbing test in the heart of France, the quick professionals were asked again on Thursday. In Villeneuve-sur-Lot, anything other than a sprint was a surprise. From a German perspective, Pascal Ackermann and Phil Bauhaus have the next of a total of three chances for a stage win.
Tadej Pogacar's aggressive approach in cycling, as displayed during the Tour de France, has earned him a significant lead in the general classification. Despite Pogacar's attack and the strong performance of Primoz Roglic's team, it was Jonas Vingegaard who snatched an unexpected victory on the Central Massif climb. With Primoz Roglic's crash and Vingegaard's impressive performance, Cycling is now witnessing an intense two-man battle between Pogacar and Vingegaard in the Tour de France.
