Jonas Vingegaard deals a final blow to Tadej Pogacar in the queen stage of the Tour de France | Tour de France

Could the Tour still be exciting after Jonas Vingegaard’s incredible time trial on Tuesday? The hope was there, but the Tour was already decided before the steepest part on the final climb Col de la Loze. The Slovenian had to get off when the group still consisted of about ten men, an unusual picture in this Tour that seemed to turn into a game of seconds for a long time. But in just 48 hours time, there was spreading in minutes.

For Pogacar, the stage already started with a setback. After just over fifteen kilometers, the UAE leader crashed uphill. With blood on his knee he continued on his way, but knowing that he could not start the queen stage with two first category climbs, a third category climb and as a bouncer a hors category climb, was already a sign on the wall .

With thirteen kilometers to go, Pogacar had to let go. Jumbo-Visma did not increase the pace at that time and had even sent two men in a large leading group with Tiesj Benoot and Wilco Kelderman. Benoot waited for Vingegaard, did a great head turn and personally made sure that Adam Yates was the last GC rider to get off. Only Vingegaard continued. For Pogacar, the race had already been run: he lost minutes.

Vingegaard hoped to take the win for the second day in a row, but partly due to delays in the last eight kilometers due to a motorcycle and jury car standing still in a corner, Vingegaard was no longer able to close the gap to the front runners. In the front, Felix Gall had driven away from a large group and Simon Yates was chasing the Austrian.

With a lead of twenty counts on Yates, Gall was the first on top of Col de la Loze, the roof of the Tour and therefore good for 40 mountain points. But more importantly, his lead over Yates was 20 seconds. In the descent he did not relinquish that lead and also in the steep final kilometer his best victory of his career was not in danger.

Vingegaard finished fourth, almost two minutes behind stage winner Gall, behind Yates and Pello Bilbao. Then it was a matter of waiting for the loser of the day, Pogacar. In the final kilometres, the Team UAE Emirates rider struggled to keep up with the pace of teammates and eventually came in almost six minutes behind Vingegaard. With that, his gap in the standings to the Dane is already more than seven minutes and the Tour is over.

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