Jai Hindley takes Tour de France lead as Tadej Pogacar suffers in Pyrenees
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Bora-Hansgrohe's Australian rider Jai Hindley wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey and celebrating on the podium after winning the 5th stage of the 110th edition of the Tour de France on Wednesday.
PHOTO: AFP
LARUNS, FRANCE – Australian Jai Hindley crossed the line alone to win Stage 5 of the Tour de France on Wednesday to take the overall leader’s yellow jersey as reigning champion Jonas Vingegaard won a tactical battle with key rival Tadej Pogacar.
Hindley leads Vingegaard by 47 seconds, with the Dane pulling off a major coup on the final mountain and holding a 53-second advantage over Pogacar in the overall standings, which took a major shake-up.
Bora-Hansgrohe rider Hindley, the 2022 Giro d’Italia winner, shook off his rivals on the Col de Marie-Blanque to break clear in the yellow jersey standings.
Said Hindley: “I was sort of just improvising out there and enjoying some bike racing. I just managed to find myself in that breakaway group and I enjoyed myself out there today.”
On inheriting the yellow jersey, he said: “It’s really incredible. I have no words. The guys in the radio were just screaming at me to ride to the line. I couldn’t really hear so much what was happening...
“I didn’t know what to expect – it’s my first Tour and it’s hard to come here with massive ambitions. But for sure, I wanted to come and be competitive and have some form of success – and I’ve just won a stage of the Tour.”
The 27-year-old finished 32 seconds ahead of Italy’s Giulio Ciccone and Austrian Felix Gall, with Vingegaard fifth 34sec behind.
Vingegaard’s Jumbo-Visma stunned the UAE Team when Wout van Aert dropped back from an early break and led Vingegaard uphill with an impressive 500m pull.
Jumbo climber Sepp Kuss then took the relay until he too peeled away before Vingegaard broke free and put the hammer down over the remaining 15km to the finish line.
Said Vingegaard: “We wanted to have a guy in the breakaway, a satellite rider, and ended up with three, so that’s even better.
“The guys did super, super great today. We didn’t have to pull in the bunch, which was great for us. Then on the final climb, I felt good, so I said to Sepp that he should go to the front and star pushing. He did that and then I attacked.”
Meanwhile, UAE Team rider Pogacar, the 2020 and 2021 champion, was left isolated as overnight leader Adam Yates appeared unable to help in the chase.
Said Pogacar: “He was just too fast on the climb. I tried to hold on until the top but he was really, really strong. What an attack. There’s nothing you can do when someone is stronger than you like that.” AFP, REUTERS
