Dhe worst is over. The last stage of the Pyrenees lies behind the professionals of the Tour de France. This 18th section over 129.7 kilometers from Pau to Luz Ardiden got down to business again. It was the last chance for the challengers to get Slovenia’s leader Tadej Pogacar (Team UAE) into trouble again. But like the day before at the royal stage of this 108th Tour of France, Pogacar was boss in the ring during an exchange of blows in the high mountains.
In a completely superior manner, he won his third stage win on this tour ahead of Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) and Richard Carapaz (Ineos-Grenadiers). The yellow jersey can no longer be taken from him in the remaining three stages with a lead of 5:45 minutes over Vingegaard, only a fall or something similar could bring him to his second Tour victory. “But you never know,” said the 22-year-old Pogacar at the finish. “There are still three days, but it looks good.” With his success in Luz Ardiden, he also secured the dotted jersey of the best climber, the white of the best young professional is also reserved for him. Wilco Kelderman from the German team Bora-hansgrohe improved to sixth place in the overall standings, finishing ninth in the stage.
Mo. – Fr. at 4 pm; Sa. – So. at 6 p.m.
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The riders expected the first big stage of the day after 77 kilometers: the 2115 meter high Tourmalet, which gave the myth of the Tour de France more nourishment than any other mountain. The Tour of France discovered it in 1910, it was their entry point into the high mountains, at that time still partly on unpaved roads. The pros didn’t have to go up the Tourmalet on donkey trails this time, but it hasn’t gotten any less steep either. It was 17 kilometers uphill, with an average gradient of 7.3 percent.
Pogacar shines in the serpentines
Two drivers who were no longer relevant in the overall standings were the first to reach the summit, the French Pierre Latour (Total Energies) and David Gaudu (FDJ-Groupama). Latour won the mountain classification, he had conquered the giant of the Pyrenees with an average speed of 21.2 kilometers per hour. An achievement as wonderful as it is wonderful. Behind, not a minute back, the field of favorites, led for a long time by the still winless British team Ineos Grenadiers.
For the Colombian Rigoberto Uran (EF Education), who had held second place in the overall standings for a few days, the Tourmalet was the end of all dreams of a podium place in Paris. He fell back and had to be escorted by two teammates. And because it was so beautiful, the route planners added a mountain arrival as an encore, up to Luz Ardiden, a 13.3 kilometer long and 7.4 percent steep test for the riders’ lungs and volition.
Ineos was still setting the pace. An express train under steam like in the best of times. The last runaways were soon collected. Five and a half kilometers from the finish, Pogacar sent his last helper, Rafal Majka, to the front. Then, two kilometers further, the boss himself stepped in, and of the fifteen drivers in the group there were five left. Tadej Pogacar, Richard Carapaz, Jonas Vingegaard, Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) and Enric Mas (Movistar). The last kilometers up to Luz Ardiden are a spectacular serpentine carousel. Pogacar made it his stage. When Mas attacked 700 meters from the finish line, he countered easily and loosely, flew past him and outclassed him and the others.
So the worst is over. This Friday there is a 207 kilometer long, but also friendly flat stage from Mourenx from Libourne near Bordeaux on the program. The classification riders will not be of particular interest to them, for them driving is active relaxation after three difficult stages in the Pyrenees. You will take it easy and leave the excitement to the sprinter teams, who have to make sure that no runaway wins the stage. Mark Cavendish in particular will be interested. He could celebrate his fifth stage win on this tour in Libourne and sprint past the great Eddy Merckx in terms of the number of daily victories on the tour. It would be number 35 for Cavendish. If he doesn’t make it, he will have a second chance at the tour finale in Paris on Sunday after the time trial on Saturday. There, where Tadej Pogacar will probably put on a lot of jerseys.
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