Tadej Pogacar secured a significant victory on the Alpe d’Huez stage of the Tour de France, further extending his overall lead to more than seven minutes. The defending champion’s performance on the legendary climb solidified his position, despite earlier speculation regarding illness within his UAE Emirates XRG team.
Pogacar completed the climb in 35 minutes and 26 seconds, a time that surpassed the previous record set by Marco Pantani in 1997 by over a minute. He expressed satisfaction with the achievement, noting that breaking a long-standing record was a positive outcome for his team. The win marks his fifth stage victory in this year’s Tour.
The atmosphere on the climb was described as “crazy,” with an estimated 500,000 spectators lining the route. Many arrived days in advance, creating a boisterous environment for the riders. Pogacar‘s sports director, Matxin Fernández, was visibly emotional following the performance, highlighting the team’s spirit and the significance of the win.
Dominant Performance on the Alpe
Pogacar‘s decisive acceleration came approximately 12 kilometres from the summit of Alpe d’Huez, leaving his closest competitors behind. He initially joined forces with teammate Adam Yates, who had made a remarkable recovery from an earlier illness. Together, they reduced the advantage of the day’s breakaway group.
With about 10 kilometres remaining, Pogacar launched a solo attack, ultimately catching and overtaking the breakaway riders who had held a lead of almost four minutes with 25 kilometres to go. He crossed the finish line six seconds ahead of Lenny Martinez of Bahrain-Victorious, with Richard Carapaz of EF Education-Easypost finishing another three seconds behind in third place.
The stage saw a large breakaway group of over 40 riders form on the early climbs of Bayard and Noyer. This group included notable names such as Carapaz, Thymen Arensman, and Adam Yates. Despite their initial lead, Pogacar‘s relentless pace on the final ascent proved too strong for them to maintain their advantage.
Impact on General Classification
The victory further solidifies Pogacar‘s position at the top of the general classification. He now holds a lead of seven minutes 11 seconds over Remco Evenepoel of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, who remains in second place overall. Isaac del Toro, Pogacar‘s teammate, holds third place, nine minutes 42 seconds behind the leader and continues to wear the white young riders’ classification jersey.
Adam Yates‘s return to form was crucial in supporting Pogacar‘s charge. Yates, who had been severely ill earlier in the week, showed resilience by riding strongly and pacing Pogacar during the final climb. Pogacar expressed his happiness at having Yates back and riding alongside him.
Other riders also made their mark on the stage. Sepp Kuss of Visma-Lease a Bike battled for a strong fourth-place finish, having been part of the initial breakaway. Richard Carapaz, known for his combative riding, took over the polka-dot King of the Mountains jersey by a single point from Pogacar. Mads Pedersen of Lidl-Trek maintained his lead in the green points jersey.
The Tour de France continues with another mountainous ‘queen’ stage on Saturday, which includes an additional 2,000 metres of climbing. This stage will once again feature the ascent of Alpe d’Huez, offering Pogacar a chance for a sixth stage win.
Source: theguardian.com
