After two days of attacking, time beneficial properties and losses within the Pyrenees, Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) Tadej Pogačar (UAE Workforce Emirates) have been capable of take pleasure in a quiet day on the Tour de France on the lengthy flat trip to Bordeaux. The duo, separated by 25 seconds within the general standings, performed GC thoughts video games somewhat than launching any main assaults on Friday.
As Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) caught and handed Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan) in sight of the end line, ending the Manxman’s hopes of taking a file thirty fifth stage win, Vingegaard completed twenty second, fastidiously protected by Jumbo-Visma teammate Christophe Laporte. Solely Wout van Aert was absent after sitting up within the remaining kilometres. He completed 148th at 3:05 and so slipped to 16:05 within the basic classification, sufficient time to permit a go within the anticipated assaults within the finale of stage 8 to Limoges on Saturday.
Pogačar, in the meantime, was positioned simply behind Vingegaard, protected within the quick finale by his highway captain Matteo Trentin.
Pogačar joined Vingegaard within the podium space to tug on the most effective younger rider’s white jersey for one more day. He loved his now typical one-minute dip within the UAE Workforce Emirates ice-bath to decrease his core physique temperature.
“It was good till we went full gasoline within the remaining 40km, it was a reasonably good day,” Pogačar mentioned, clearly blissful for the trio of Simon Guglielmi (Arkéa-Samsic), Nans Peters (AG2R-Citroën) and Pierre Latour (TotalEnergies) to hold off the entrance at that time within the race.
Vingegaard agreed. With temperatures touching 33 Celsius within the southwest of France, he began the stage with an ice-vest protecting his new yellow jersey and warmed down post-stage with one other one, as his press officer Ard Bierens held up a big moveable fan.
“At this time was very hectic in the long run and so I feel all of the GC riders prolonged the three-kilometre rule earlier than the corners. I feel it made it so much safer,” he mentioned, thanking the UCI judges and the rider’s CPA affiliation who agreed to the change the place the general classification occasions are taken in case of an accident, at 3.5km to go as a substitute of 3km.
Vingegaard distanced Pogačar on stage 5 to Laruns and took the yellow jersey on stage 6 to Cauterets though he misplaced time to Pogačar, who received the stage. Vingegaard took the GC lead after he and Pogačar distanced Jai Hindley over the Col du Tourmalet, and he insisted he’s blissful to have it, regardless of all the additional consideration and obligations.
“I feel it’s so much higher to be 25 forward than 25 seconds behind,” Vingegaard mentioned, sending a transparent message of power to Pogačar and everybody else.
“I’ll all the time select having the lead. Earlier than this Tour de France, we didn’t anticipate to be main at this level, so to be in entrance is definitely an ideal scenario for us.”
Vingegaard was quizzed about his 24-second time loss to Pogačar on stage 6. As an alternative of cracking the Slovenian on the Col du Tourmalet and taking management of the Tour de France, Pogačar turned the tables on his rival, attacked him on the climb to the end in Cauterets and gained time.
As an alternative of being over, the 2023 Tour de France proved to be very a lot alive.
Vingegaard put his time loss down to simply an early, unhealthy day however refused to disclose if he or his efficiency group had checked out his information and understood precisely what went flawed.
“I really feel like I’ve felt within the final two years on the Grand Excursions,” Vingegaard insisted. “My worst days have all the time been within the first week, and particularly the primary few days. I received’t say I’m unhealthy, however I’ve a sense that I then get higher daily.”
The subsequent battleground for the Vingegaard-Pogačar showdown needs to be on Sunday on the legendary Puy de Dôme mountain end within the Massif Central.
Vingegaard will keep vigilant throughout the rolling stage to Limoges on Saturday and so relaxation up for spherical 8.
Pogačar was additionally cautious, regardless of dragging himself again into the struggle for yellow together with his assault on Thursday. Older and wiser after his 2022 defeat, Pogačar is aware of there are nonetheless two weeks and three weekends of the Tour de France nonetheless to race.
“My morale is nice, excellent,” he mentioned. “For positive we nonetheless have a great likelihood however there’s nonetheless a protracted strategy to go. To win we have to save the legs of yesterday.”