The Dane could not follow his arch Pogacar and rolled across the finish line in sixth place on the 4,400 meter Alpine stage, 1:42 minutes behind third placed Remco Evenepoel (Soudal). The American Matteo Jorgenson came second (+21 seconds) ahead of the British Simon Yates (+40). Richard Carapaz from Ecuador led the mountain classification and finished fourth on the stage.
“I’m very happy that I had good legs today,” said Pogacar after his 15th Tour day victory. “I’m looking better than ever, I’d say that too.” The one who wears the yellow jersey has only to survive two more days to become the first rider in 26 years to win the double of the Giro d’Italia and the Tour. “It looks good. Tomorrow I will enjoy the stage and I hope nothing serious will happen,” said Pogacar. Vingegaard’s sporting director, Grischa Niermann, emphasized that he was the strongest and most contributor to his protégé. “He probably won’t win.”
The red-white-red hopeful Felix Gall had to retire on the penultimate climb and was unable to reach 22nd place, 12:06 minutes behind. In the fight for the top ten there was a bitter retreat from the third to the last stage, the Decathlon professional slipped to 14th place. “Of course it’s a big disappointment after today,” said Gall. It didn’t feel good. “I can’t say what it is. It’s just a shame, the team did a great job.”
The last part in the high mountains is on the program for Saturday. More than 4,700 meters of altitude and four climbs await the field of riders when they reach the Alps at the Col de la Couillole, and at the end on Sunday there is an individual hilly time trial. Vingegaard’s last hope for the yellow jersey is a blackout, illness or accident from Pogacar.
On the first of three climbs of the day on the Col de Vars, a breakaway group of nine broke away, including Jorgenson and Wilco Kelderman, Vingegaard’s two most important assistants in the high mountains. Pogacar and his team behind him controlled the action; the deficit was around four minutes over long stretches. On the second climb the breakaway group was reduced to six riders. When the peloton went along at the top of the journey, Gall could no longer keep up with the leading group.
The 26-year-old East Tyrolean rolled over the highest point of the tour at the Cime de la Bonette (2,802 m above sea level) more than two minutes behind the peloton of the top riders. Gall, who won the queen’s title last year, entered the third to final stage in eleventh place overall, which meant that the expected jump into the top ten was a long way off.
On the final climb of 16 km, Jorgenson launched an attack for the stage win. Pogacar attacked and with about ten kilometers to go, Vingegaard was unable to follow and stayed on Evenepoel’s rear wheel. The UAE star quickly disappeared from his rivals’ field of vision and ended up celebrating just ahead of Jorgenson.