Tour de France - "What a legend": Vingegaard wins and shocks Pogacar
After the most emotional victory of his career, Jonas Vingegaard's eyes were filled with only tears. "It's naturally very moving for me. Coming back after my fall means a lot to me. All the things I've gone through in the last three months. That wouldn't have been possible without my family", said the defending champion of the Tour de France with a tear-choked voice.
Just a few minutes earlier, the Dane had celebrated his first stage win of the year and denied his biggest rival and overall leader Tadej Pogacar an unexpected defeat. More than 30 kilometers before the finish, Pogacar dropped out at the demanding climbing through the Central Massif. No one could keep up, and the advantage grew rapidly to over 30 seconds.
Surprise in the Sprint
"The attack was too strong," said Vingegaard. The 27-year-old needed 15 kilometers before he surprised many observers by catching Pogacar. And on the final climb to Le Loiran's ski resort, he was also the fastest. "I'm surprised I beat Tadej in the sprint," said the Dane. Vingegaard is 1:14 minutes behind Pogacar in the general classification. Between the two rivals is still the Belgian Remco Evenepoel. However, the moral winner is clear just before the Pyrenees.
Early April saw Vingegaard crash heavily in the Basque Country in a descent. At the first rest day of the Tour, he spoke about death anxiety and thoughts of an early retirement. Six weeks before the Tour, he could only begin training again. "I'm glad he's even here at the Tour. And now he's winning a stage. Wow! What a legend," said Vingegaard's team boss Richard Plugge.
Despite Pogacar's successful defense of the Yellow Jersey and his extension of the lead, the 211-kilometer long and 4,350-meter high stage felt like a defeat. "The Tour is still long from being over," said Vingegaard.
Vingegaard recovers from the attack
Pogacar's team kept the pace high all day, resulting in a surprising average speed of 42.5 km/h. Already good 30 kilometers before the finish, Pogacar launched his attack, which no one could follow at first. He gained a significant advantage of over 30 seconds on Vingegaard and Co. "Tadej, no one's reacting, keep your tempo. Ride with your head," Pogacar was advised via team radio.
However, Vingegaard recovered, caught the visibly nervous Pogacar 17 kilometers before the finish at the penultimate mountain pass. The overall leader secured the largest time bonus on the pass but had to cede the larger credit in the finish to Vingegaard.
No chance for the breakaways
The day started brutally, as the peloton had to make up for the leisurely Tuesday stage with almost 50 km/h for over two hours. The situation calmed down a bit when the leading group formed, and the UAE team of Pogacar never let the breakaways get more than three minutes ahead and ended their attempt 32 kilometers before the finish. Just 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 opportunities for a stage win.
- Tadej Pogacar, despite successfully defending his Yellow Jersey and extending his lead, faced a setback during the stage in the Massif Central, France, as he had to abandon the race due to exhaustion during the demanding climbing section.
- The International Cycling Union (UCI) announced that Tadej Pogacar's Slovenian national team will be participating in the upcoming UCI World Road Championships, which will take place in France, further enhancing the country's reputation in the world of cycling, following Pogacar's Tour de France victory.
- After his emotional stage victory, Jonas Vingegaard expressed his gratitude for the support he received from his team and family during his recovery from a crash in the Basque Country and his subsequent struggle to regain his fitness for the Tour de France, emphasizing the international importance of a strong support system in the world of professional cycling.
