Visma-Lease a Bike’s Tour de France special-edition jerseys had been named Renaissance to honour the race’s Italian Grand Départ, however there was greater than a touch of rebirth for Jonas Vingegaard on stage 20, too, because the Dane bounced again from a tough stage 19 to battle Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) all the best way to the road.
Vingegaard was dropped by the race chief within reach of the highest of the Col de la Couillole, the identical ascent the place he was defeated by Pogačar within the 2023 version of Paris-Nice.
But the Dane confirmed brave racing as Soudal-QuickStep tried to place him beneath strain, simply lacking out on the stage win. He managed to drop podium rival Remco Evenepoel and all however make sure that he would end second general within the Tour de France on Sunday.
“Today he confirmed he’s not straightforward to crack and he’s an actual fighter,” Pogačar admiringly mentioned afterwards.
Vingegaard mentioned later he had been dreaming of outduelling the Slovenian, as he had completed in Le Lioran 10 days in the past, on the Tour´s final summit end. But Vingegaard´s efficiency, not the consequence, was finally what mattered probably the most.
“I felt higher than yesterday,” Vingegaard informed reporters afterwards. “Friday was one among my worst days on the bike. I used to be utterly empty within the finale, however right this moment it was very totally different.
“When Evenepoel attacked me the primary time, I didn’t have any issues responding and so when he tried a second time, I assumed I’d go for it myself.
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“But my key goal was gaining time on Remco, greater than the stage win.”
150 metres from the road, Vingegaard did attempt to pull himself out of the saddle to go for the road, however Pogačar immediately got here previous him, gaining one other seven seconds on the Dane by the end line.
On the plus facet for the defending Tour de France champion, Vingegaard´s acquire of 46 seconds on La Couillole makes it nearly inconceivable for even a time trial specialist like Evenepoel to overtake him in Sunday’s race in opposition to the clock. The distinction between the 2 now stands at two minutes and fifty seconds.
Bizarrely sufficient, the chance of a stage win for each Pogačar and Vingegaard got here all the way down to Soudal-QuickStep working to attempt to dislodge the Dane from second, which spelled curtains for the breakaway. The final two survivors from the 10-man transfer of the day, Enric Mas (Movistar) after which Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), had been caught on the higher slopes of the Couillole, giving Vingegaard and Pogačar an sudden alternative for victory.
“I used to be in some sort of method hoping he would give it to me, however I knew already I’d been driving so exhausting, if he would dash I’d don’t have any probability,” Vingegaard commented.
“I used to be already on my restrict, however you may all the time hope and that´s biking, that’s how it’s. I don’t blame him in any respect, I’d in all probability have completed the identical.”
In phrases of the larger image, Vingegaard was nonetheless cautious about his probabilities of defending his general benefit in opposition to Evenepoel, declaring that the stage 7 winner “is the very best time triallist, so that you by no means know if it’s sufficient”.
“Three minutes looks as if lots to me, however final yr within the Tour I took 1:40 within the time trial [on second-placed Pogačar – Ed.] myself, so you may simply lose time.
“I’m simply glad I managed to realize so many seconds right this moment and with how I rode and the way I recovered. To bounce again like that is very nice for me.”
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