In a gripping showdown at the Tour de France, Tadej Pogacar pushed himself to a staggering “12 out of 10” during a challenging ascent, marking his first significant battle against Jonas Vingegaard. Competing for the UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Pogacar showcased his climbing prowess on the steep Cat. 3 Rampe Saint-Hilarie, which features an unforgiving gradient of 10.6% over a sharp stretch of 800 meters. His performance on this final climb was electrifying, and only Vingegaard, representing Visma-Lease a Bike, managed to stay within his vicinity.
TNT Sports commentator Rob Hatch aptly remarked that these two competitors, often referred to as the “terrible twosome,” were competing on a different intellectual plane of cycling altogether. The tension and energy of the race soared as Pogacar launched an attack, momentarily creating a gap between him and Vingegaard. However, at the summit, the pace moderated just enough for a select group of riders, including Mathieu van der Poel from Alpecin-Deceuninck, who donned the yellow jersey, to regroup before the final climb.
In a post-race interview with TNT Sports’ Matt Stephens, Pogacar expressed how hard he had pushed himself, confidently stating, “12 out of 10! It was all out.” This unfiltered statement highlighted not just his fitness levels but also his fierce desire to clinch victory. Later, in another interview, Pogacar reflected on his performance, noting, “I hope everyone was on the limit. I tried an attack on the last climb. Jonas followed me, then everything came back together. Joao Almeida then did an amazing job to lead me out at the end. I’m super happy and proud of the team today. I’m just without words; it was such a nice victory.”
Pogacar’s achievement not only solidified his position in the competition but also tied him with Van der Poel in the general classification. Yet, due to countback, he narrowly missed seizing the yellow jersey. Unquestionably, there was still another opportunity in the form of a 33km individual time trial expected to alter the leaderboard on the coming Stage 5, fueling excitement among fans and riders alike. Pogacar acknowledged the looming challenge, stating, “We will see tomorrow; tomorrow is the real test. To win a stage in this jersey is enough. Of course, we will aim for the yellow, but we will see.”
This latest triumph reignited debates about Pogacar’s standing among the cycling elites, reigniting the discourse surrounding him as possibly the greatest of all time (GOAT). TNT Sports’ guest pundit Owain Doull articulated this sentiment, declaring, “For me, he’s the greatest for sure. When you look at what he’s doing across different terrains all year round, he’s just an absolute killer.”
While Pogacar’s exploits dominated the headlines, Vingegaard’s impressive performance did not go unnoticed. Although Pogacar was hailed for his outstanding achievement, Vingegaard’s ability to stay competitive on terrain that typically favored his rival took center stage. As the race progressed, the mountains ahead loomed with promise for the Danish racer, and he expressed confidence heading into the individual time trial for Stage 5.
TNT Sports expert Adam Blythe shared enthusiasm for Vingegaard, emphasizing, “The most impressive thing to me is Jonas, without a doubt. We all know Jonas is better in the longer mountains. To ride how he is right now and blowing up within a second [of Pogacar] is impressive. That’s bread and butter for Tadej. For Jonas, that’s the hardest part of this race.”
With Vingegaard sitting just eight seconds adrift of Pogacar in the general classification, every second counts. Vingegaard had also accumulated four bonus seconds with a sprint finish in Rouen, maintaining a competitive edge. “He’s definitely come up a level since the Dauphine,” Doull noted, highlighting Vingegaard’s resilience through the first four hectic stages. The context surrounding the Dauphine showed that even if he trailed Pogacar by nearly a minute overall, Vingegaard managed to outperform Pogacar significantly in the time trial segment, putting 24 seconds into him over a shorter distance of 17.4km. The upcoming Stage 5 time trial, extended to 33km, would be a true litmus test of their current form.
The rivalry between Pogacar and Vingegaard, who have captured the last five Tour de France titles between them, further intensifies the narrative of this year’s race, as Pogacar leads their head-to-head competition with a score of 3-2. As cycling enthusiasts worldwide tune in to watch the unfolding drama live on TNT Sports and discovery+, the anticipation surrounding the individual time trial sets the stage for more thrilling action in
