- Pogacar’s Solo Attack: Defending Champion Shows Resilience in Tour de France Stage 6
- Pogacar Gains Time: Victory Brings Relief and Narrowing Gap with Vingegaard
- Unexpected Tactics: Unpredictable Circumstances and Improvisation in Cycling Strategy
Tadej Pogacar will never back down, whether or not he has a wrist injury. After losing time in the first Pyrenean stage to Laruns, the Slovenian challenged the incumbent champion, Jonas Vingegaard, on stage six of the Tour de France, a mountain finish to Cauterets-Cambasque.
In what was his 10th Tour stage victory and yet another virtuosic solo attack from the 2020 and 2021 champion, Pogacar validated the notion that, despite his lengthy layoff, he will improve as the race progresses.
After achieving double-digit stage victories, he quipped, “I’m coming for you, Mark Cavendish! It’s a touch arrogant to say, but I’m content with just one stage victory. Today I was just as ecstatic as I was three years ago when I first won.”
The pendulum, which appeared to be swinging inexorably in favor of last year’s victor, has begun to swing back in favor of Pogacar. However, the 24-year-old denied that his victory was retribution. “It’s great to win today and gain some time back,” he stated. “I feel a little bit of relief and am doing much better now.”
Pogacar surprised Vingegaard 4 kilometres from the finish line in the Cambasque mountain resort to win.
Unable to respond to the UAE Emirates rider’s violent acceleration, the Dane was compensated with his first yellow jersey of the race and a stroke on the back from Emmanuel Macron, the French president.
Vingegaard said, “I’m ecstatic to be back in the maillot jaune. “I had hoped to stay with Tadej, but he was so strong on the final climb that he earned the victory.”
Wout van Aert and Sepp Kuss helped him win the yellow jersey on the Col du Tourmalet.
“When they started pulling on the Tourmalet, I thought, ‘Sh*t, if it’s going to be like yesterday, we might as well pack up and go home,'” Pogacar said. “Today, I was able to effortlessly follow the Tourmalet thanks to my strong legs. I got into position and was ready to launch, but I was clutching on for dear life.
While Vingegaard and his companions adhered to their strategy, Pogacar, without assistance in the final kilometers, was forced to improvise. “You can have plans A, B, and C – the entire alphabet – and a hundred different things can still occur,” said the winner of the stage. “It is so difficult to follow the tactics in cycling because there are so many unpredictable circumstances.”
As the peloton departs the Pyrenees, there is only a 25-second gap between the two riders. “I suppose this year’s Tour will be an exciting one,” Vingegaard remarked sarcastically.
While Pogacar and Vingegaard gained ground on the penultimate climb, overnight leader Jai Hindley of Bora-Hansgrohe faltered. After less than twenty-four hours in the yellow jersey, Hindley’s prospects diminished as the leading groups passed the ski station at La Mongie, four kilometers from the summit of the Tourmalet mountain. On the subsequent lengthy descent, the Australian was able to reduce his deficit to Vingegaard to 1min 34sec at the finish, with Simon Yates in fourth place 1min 40sec further back.
“That was an epic day of riding in the yellow jersey and ascending mythical climbs,” said Hindley. “To be honest, I got my arse handed to me, but I enjoyed it.”
Vingegaard appeared to share the crowd’s enthusiasm for President Macron. When asked what the chief of state had said to him, he struggled to recall before responding, “He said it was nice to see me again, and I believe he remembered me from the previous year.”
Pogacar dedicated his stage victory to his partner Urska Zigart, who was compelled to abandon the women’s Giro d’Italia, the Giro Donne, after suffering a concussion and a crash. “Of course, she was at home and not racing today. “She gave me complete authority,” he said. “This one was intended for her.”
