Tadej Pogacar remains the measure of all things at the Tour de France: The Slovenian won the 11.9 kilometer mountain time trial to Peyragudes. Jonas Vingegaard finished second with 36 seconds. Florian Lipowitz showed a very strong performance as fourth. In the overall classification, the German tour debut is moving very close to the third Remco Evenepoel.
Evenepoel was the loser at the showdown of the classification drivers in the Pyrenees. On the last, steep meters to the finish line of the 13th stage, the time trial world champion had to watch the Vingegaard, which started two minutes behind him. The Belgian was only five seconds behind Pogacar during the first time, but at the finish there were 2:39 minutes and twelve. On the other hand, Primoz Roglic, who was also the third, also contained a strong time trial (+1: 20 minutes).
Lipowitz is now only six seconds behind Evenepoel in the overall classification. With the fourth stage win on this tour, Pogacar expanded his lead over Vingegaard to 4:07 minutes. “The last 50 meters felt like an eternity”said a struggled Lipowitz in the Sportschau interview. “The goal was not to lose time. It is of course the better if you do time well.”
A small challenge for the teams was the choice of materials. The first four kilometers were moderately uphill – here a time bike would certainly have been the optimal choice. Only then did the drivers had to master most of the 650 meters of altitude. And it almost got steep. A whopping 16 percent was the maximum slope up to the Peyragudes airfield. Here, a lighter road wheel can be an advantage compared to the time bike, so a good kilogram could be saved in weight.
Time bike or optimized road bike?
The teams had to weigh between as little weight as possible and good aerodynamics. How would you choose? Maybe the bike is even changed? Rolf Aldag, sporting director at the German Rennstall Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe, did not want to be really looking at the cards in an interview with the sports show. But he indicated that the light possible time bike will probably be the best. A bike change was also tested at Bora, which would cost 12-14 seconds, revealed Aldag.
So the answer to the question was a little long in coming. For many professionals who have no ambitions in the classification, it was only necessary to stay in time. Otherwise, forces were the order of the day for upcoming tasks. And since the classification was launched in reverse order, there was initially “normal” street bikes to be seen – but in a setup as light as possible. Many started with flatter and lighter mountain wheels. Even on time trial helmets, the vast majority did without.
Pops of the best time is more than three hours
Luke Plapp was the first to really do something and put on the first good time. The Australian also ran a road bike, but with an aerodynamically better window wheel. Plapp had already lifted the tour on the first, flat time trial. Then he was the fastest in the first time, but the 24 -year -old had tackled the race too quickly and broken in at the end – so that it was only ninth. Plapp, which was already at the finish at around 114.15 p.m., had to endure hours on the “Hot Seat” of the time best. It was not first at 5.17 p.m. Roglic was the first time. After all, this time it was enough for Plapp.
Luke Plapp during the mountain time trial
Only four professionals start with a time bike
Before that, the secret about the election of the classification drivers slowly ventilated. Lipowitz and Roglic drove warm on timelight machines. Pogacar and Vingegaard contested the warm up on a road bike. Roglic, who was seventh for the last one, was the first on a time bike. This was followed by Lipowitz and Evenepoel on a time bike. Surprisingly, Vingegaard then ran a different bike than with the warm up, the Dane tackled the 11.9 kilometers with a time bike. Pogacar started the last at 5:05 p.m. with a black road bike.
Nils Politt, who had worked a lot for Pogacar in the past week, had long ended his relatively relaxed working day in the Pyrenees. “It was half an hour full throttle, but better than an 180-kilometer stage”so the Cologne conclusion in an interview with the sports show. And he also expressed his respect for Lipowitz’s strong performance at the first mountain arrival the day before: “The guy can go deep. It would be nice if we have a German on the podium in Paris.“
Tourmalet stage on Saturday
The classification drivers will be challenged again at the 14th stage on Saturday. On the third day in the Pyrenees, it goes through a tour classic. After 89 kilometers, the professionals reach the pass at the Col du Tourmalet – and for the first time it goes to more than 2000 meters high. At the end of the stage over 182 kilometers with the mountain arrival in Luchon Superbagnères, the drivers will feel almost 5000 meters in the legs.