tour reporter
Tadej Pogacar wins the 6th stage of the Tour de France in Cautarets Cambasque, Jonas Vingegaard takes the yellow jersey. This sets the tone for the next two weeks. The two drive in their own world.
The yellow jersey was still hidden under the team’s black track jacket when Jai Hindley rolled to the team bus of his Bora-hansgrohe team. The Maillot jaune didn’t belong to him anymore. After just one day, the Australian had to turn it on again Jonas Vingegaardlast year’s winner of the Tour de France.
hindley would have liked to keep it a bit longer, the yellow jersey. He had already liked the attention that the coveted piece of clothing brought him. “You stand out and a lot of people come to congratulate you”reported hindley from his day trip in yellow.
Jumbo Visma’s Attack from the Tactics textbook
But at the first mountain finish of the tour in Cautarets Cambasquewhere previously there were the Pyrenees passes Col d’Aspin and Tourmalet was to cross, experienced the race “a major attack by Jumbo on the yellow jersey”How Hindley’s team boss Ralph Denk put it.
From the start of the 6th stage on Vingegaards Dutch team Jumbo-Visma made it clear that the balance of power was to be put right again. hindley was the winner of Giro d’Italia In 2022, after all, not just any random overall leader, but to be taken seriously. So it’s better to make things clear right away.
Vingegaards The team followed the instructions on page one of the cycling tactics book: you send a rider into the breakaway group from the start. Preferably Wout van Aertleading the group at high speed on the climb of the tourmalets thins out and takes the panting rest over the summit.
Meanwhile, the colleagues from behind are also picking up speed to launch an attack from the captain, who then closes on the descent van Aert catches up and lets himself be guided into the final ascent in his slipstream. The boss has to do the rest Vingegaardthen just complete it yourself.
Pogacar resists and counters
So much for the plan, which at least worked with a view to the yellow jersey. But there is still Tadej Pogacar, the 2020 and 2021 tour winner, who not only had time the day before hindleybut also on Vingegaard had lost. The Slovenian was therefore also part of the plan. “We bought time from him yesterday, we wanted to try that today too”told Vingegaards teammate Sep kiss.
But this time Pogacar withstood the pressure and clung on Vingegaards rear wheel when he am Tourmalet momentarily saw his cases slipping away. “When Jonas was already on Tourmalet attacked, I thought I could pack my bags and go home”Pogacar claimed.
But he’ll let that go, because 2.7 kilometers from the finish – when the two top favorites were already among themselves – the Slovenian countered and in turn drove away from his rival. With his tenth tour stage win, Pogacar reduced his deficit Vingegaard in the overall ranking from 53 to just 25 seconds. “Of course I’d like to have a two-minute lead, but for now I’m happy to be back in yellow.”said the Dane laconically.
Pogacar: “It’s going to be a big battle”
This sets the tone for the remaining two weeks. “They are in a league of their own”Hindley’s team boss Ralph Denk pointed out Vingegaard and Pogacar festival. But it is more of a world of its own in which the two find themselves. “It will be a great battle until the end”Pogacar promised the amazed audience.
The pitiful rest of the field can now expect to while away the time battling for third place. Dethroned after just one day Jai Hindley still has the best prospects. He is now in third place overall. His lead over fourth Simon Yates is 1.40 minutes. This fight in the other world also remains exciting.