Tour de France
On the fourth day of the 111th Tour of France there is a big exchange of blows at the Col du Galibier – and this time the Slovenian cycling star can no longer be found.
Tadej Pogacar takes the yellow jersey again after the fourth stage of the Tour de France.
Photo: David Pintens/Belga/dpa
Under the shadow of the Alpine giant Col du Galibier, Tadej Pogacar was beaming proudly in the yellow jersey and was even in the mood for jokes, while his opponent Jonas Vingegaard, who was badly beaten, went away. After a spectacular display among the meter-high walls of snow at an altitude of 2,642 meters, the Slovenian cycling star has taken a big step towards his third overall victory in the duel of giants at the 111th Tour de France.
“I’m very happy, that was the plan and we executed it well. It was a dream stage for me. I wanted to fight hard today, I have trained a lot for him,” said Pogacar and announced further attacks: “I am very motivated to continue on this path.” The winner was very impressed former tour expert Jan Ullrich: “He can handle the pressure, he knows what he’s capable of. The yellow jersey gives him motivation.”
Pogacar left the Dane behind on the Galibier for the first time on this trip and, after a great descent in Valloire, he got his twelfth stage victory and the yellow jersey from the Olympic champion Richard Carapaz (Ecuador). “This is one of my best stage wins so far,” said the Slovenian.
On the fourth stage, Pogacar gained a 35 second lead over young Belgian star Remco Evenepoel. In fifth place, Vingegaard lost a second more so he is clearly behind. Thanks to the bonus seconds, Pogacar is now 45 seconds ahead of Evenepoel and 50 seconds ahead of Vingegaard in the overall classification.
However, Pogacar still has a warning: “Jonas is really good. He is in top shape. We have to move on. The next rendezvous is Friday at the time trial.” On the mountain, Vingegaard is the only rider who can challenge Pogacar at the moment. Only the Dane could withstand the explosive mountain sprints of the exceptional mountain sprinter. Compatriot Primoz Roglic of the German Red Bull team had no chance on the Galibier climb, but like world time trial champion Evenepoel, he kept the damage limited due to a strong descent.
What a great duel on the first high mountain stage back to France. As if he had been released, Pogacar took the initiative 823 meters from the summit, but Vingegaard made life difficult for him on the 139.6 kilometer long stage from Pinerolo to Valloire. But at some point the resistance was broken. When he reached the top, not only did Slovenia lead by seven seconds, but they also gained another eight bonus seconds. And on a fast descent at 90 km/h, Pogacar continued to increase his lead.
The stage was set on the 23 kilometers long and average steep climb of 5.1 percent to the Galibier. The day before, snow was cleared by snow removal vehicles. It was snowing on the mythical mountain, which was first included in the itinerary in 1911, just a month ago. The Galibier did not open to public transport until 23 June. That’s a contrast to the professional cyclists who had to contend with 35 degree temperatures at the start of the tour in Italy at the weekend.
And the excellent UAE team Pogacar set a hellish pace on the ramps. Well-known stars such as former tour winners Geraint Thomas (Great Britain) and Egan Bernal (Colombia) or all Vingegaard’s assistants were soon left behind.
Already on the descent of the Col de Montgenèvre, the penultimate climb, Pogacar had driven his UAE armada at speed, so that a large hole quickly opened in the peloton. In contrast to Primoz Roglic, Vingegaard was not surprised by the sudden attack and quickly regained composure.
“The pressure is not on me,” said Vingegaard already before the duel. For the 27-year-old, who suffered several broken ribs, a bruised lung and a pneumothorax during the Basque Country Tour in the spring, letting Pogacar escape is not a top priority. On Sunday, Vingegaard had impressively subdued Pogacar’s attacks in the first fight after San Luca.
After the efforts in the high mountains, the sprinters can hope again to arrive in mass on the fifth stage over 177.4 kilometers from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Saint-Vulbas on Wednesday. Only two easier climbs in the fourth category can be overcome.