Jonas Vingegaard on track for Tour title after crushing Tadej Pogacar
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Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard of team Jumbo-Visma reacting after crossing the finish line during the 17th stage of the Tour de France 2023, a 166kms race from Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc to Courchevel, France, 19 July 2023. EPA-EFE/MARTIN DIVISEK
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COURCHEVEL – Jonas Vingegaard established a solid lead in the Tour de France on Wednesday as his main rival Tadej Pogacar lost almost six minutes on the toughest climb of the 21 stages.
AG2R Citroen’s Felix Gall won Stage 17, billed as the “Queen Stage” with 69km of Alpine climbing, in 4hr 49min 8sec, ahead of Simon Yates (4:49.42) of Jayco Alula.
The Austrian Tour debutant said: “This whole year has been incredible. But to do so well in the Tour de France and to win the Queen Stage – it’s incredible. I just want to say thank you to the team – they have given me so much.
“It’s not easy to do a three-week stage race – and also I had the role of the leader after the first few days. But the last few days I have been more and more comfortable.”
Defending champion Vingegaard of Jumbo-Visma increased his lead in the overall standings to a crushing 7min 35sec, with Pogacar second and his UAE Team Emirates teammate Adam Yates up to third, 10min 45sec adrift.
After Vingegaard pulverised Pogacar in the individual time trial the day before, the Slovenian vowed to fight back, saying he was hoping for bad weather.
But the forecast storms passed in the early hours of the morning and the run from Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc to Courchevel took place in searing heat.
The leading riders and their entire teams were dope tested an hour before the race started from the pretty Alpine resort.
Vingegaard has undergone four anti-doping tests in the last two days, his Jumbo-Visma team said, amid scepticism over his performances.
A Jumbo-Visma spokesperson said: “We are perfectly fine with it... We’ve been asking the International Cycling Union to act like this, actually.”
Vingegaard said after the 15th stage: “I fully understand the scepticism.
“We have to be sceptical, with what happened in the past, otherwise it would happen again.”
His great rival agreed. “We are riding fast, I must say that every stage we go full gas and it’s hard but I understand people asking questions because of what happened in the past,” Pogacar said on Monday.
On Wednesday, however, Pogacar stalled.
With around 7km left of the final climb up the Col de la Loze, he told his team radio: “I’m dead! I can’t go on.”
Vingegaard skipped away. Adam Yates, freed of his services pacing Pogacar, was on the Dane’s tail.
On a Tour where motorbikes have been in the news, Vingegaard was stopped by one on the upper reaches of the last mountain after a vehicle stalled, blocking the race director’s car. He was far from flummoxed, and was even slightly annoyed that spectators gave him a shove to help him get moving again. AFP, REUTERS
