Tadej Pogačar is back in the yellow jersey after a one-day hiatus. It was decided by his attack at the end of the famous Galibier climb, when he was able to break away from all rivals, including Jonas Vingegaard. The Slovenian also managed the final descent and was the first at the finish line, thirty-four seconds ahead of the group of main rivals, which was brought to the line by Remco Evenepoel in second place.
“This was my plan and everything worked out. A dream run of the stage,” Pogačar assessed at the finish line. The winner of the 2020 and 2021 editions now leads the overall standings by forty-five seconds ahead of Evenepoel, third-placed Vingegaard loses five seconds more. They are followed by Juan Ayuso and Primož Roglič, who loses a minute and a quarter.
How did the stage go?
The Tour de France has its second highest peak of the year after the fourth day. The Galibier, which was ridden from the south side, first appeared in the program in 1911 – such is the legend of this Savoy giant for the history of the yellow race. In the year 2024, strong wind, cold weather and thousands and thousands of fans at the track awaited the competitors.
A large group of refugees sought success on its slopes, but the peloton made it clear that this time the biggest stars would win. The escape, in which there were, for example, the home favorite David Gaudu or the Spanish all-rounder Oier Lazkano, was not given much space throughout the day and his attempt ended in defeat.
And then it was the turn of the main favorites. In a strong headwind, Pogačar’s domestics Joao Almeida and Juan Ayuso brushed one opponent after another. Suddenly the yellow Richard Carapaz was gone and the last eight remained. On the final kilometer of the famous victory, Pogačar then started and suddenly he was alone – even Vingegaard had to capitulate after a few hundred meters.
Pogačar crossed the top of the Galibier and began to descend into the valley to the destination Valloire. It was a dangerous descent, there was water in the bends on the road, which was left after the melting snow. But the Slovinec coped with the descent and could put his hands up at the finish line for the first time this year. And as a bonus, he also takes over the yellow jersey. The opponents arrived with a deficit of thirty-four seconds.
2024-07-02 15:06:37
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