Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar shadowed one another on Sunday earlier than they face a highly-anticipated particular person time trial which the Danish defending champion will begin with a 10-second benefit after a relaxation day.
Pogacar, who seemed to be struggling within the last ascent of Sunday’s fifteenth stage received by Dutch Wout Poels, attacked simply inside the ultimate kilometre on the Bettex climb (7km at 7.7%) however couldn’t drop the Jumbo-Visma rider.
Vingegaard tried to catch Pogacar off guard within the final steep bend however each rolled over the road collectively, six minutes and 4 seconds behind Poels, who gave Bahrain Victorious their second stage win this yr, a month after the dying of group mate Gino Mader on the Tour de Suisse.
On a 179km trek that includes three first-category climbs, Vingegaard and Pogacar put their groups to work however let a big breakaway go after an enormous pile-up, signalling they’d not go for the stage win and the bonus seconds that go together with it, a day after one other epic spherical of their combat for the title.
“I think (in) the time trial there will be a gap, also the next day with one of the hardest climbs in the world (to the Col de la Loze). Also stage 20 could make the difference,” stated Pogacar.
“Of course, I might have preferred to create a niche at the moment. In such a state of affairs with a rider like Jonas it’s good to take time when you possibly can however being 10 seconds behind pushes me to be aggressive and that fits me.
“Today is a tie. It was a good day, although three of my team mates crashed ,” stated Vingegaard, whose group mates Sepp Kuss, Nathan van Hooydonck and Dylan van Baarle hit the deck with others after one of many Jumbo Visma riders was put off stability by a spectator.
Vingegaard’s group mate Wout van Aert thought it was his day to shine when he jumped away from the main group close to the highest of the Col des Aravis, adopted by Poels and Krists Neilands.
The trio rapidly caught Marc Soler, who had gone solo earlier, just for Neilands to crash within the descent as he tried to seize a water bottle from a race motorcycle on a left-hand bend.
Poels, Van Aert and Soler opened a 1:30 hole over the breakaway group and when Dutchman Van Aert was anticipated to be the strongest within the finale, Poels attacked on the foot of the Cote des Amerands (2.7km at 10.9%).
He by no means seemed again and crossed the road 2:08 forward of Van Aert for his first victory in a grand tour with Mathieu Burgaudeau taking third place, three minutes off the tempo.
“It’s a dream come true. It’s my 10th Tour de France, a race I used to watch on TV when I was a kid,” stated Poels.
Some seven minutes behind, all eyes have been on Pogacar and Vingegaard, who was remoted with the 2020 and 2021 winner and Adam Yates with just below 5 km to go. Pogacar, nonetheless, stayed in Yates’s wheel with Vingegaard seeming content material to comply with.
Yates went with 3.5km left, presumably trying to leapfrog Carlos Rodriguez into third place total.
As Vingegaard and Pogacar slowed down, Rodriguez got here again and made the trouble in entrance with Vingegaard, behind him, trying anxiously over his shoulder as Pogacar lay in wait.
The Slovenian made his transfer however lacked the stamina to drop Vingegaard, each riders ultimately paying for his or her efforts of the earlier days.
Rodriguez continues to be third within the basic classification, 5:21 behind Vingegaard, with Yates in fourth, 19 seconds additional again.
💛The battle for GC held its guarantees, but it surely was a day to recollect for @woutpoels. Relive the ultimate km ⤵️
💛La bataille pour le classement général a tenu ses promesses, mais ce fut une journée mémorable pour @woutpoels. Le dernier km ⤵️#TDF2023 | @Continental_fr pic.twitter.com/XUqHz8n4Ro
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 16, 2023
