Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) has won his second consecutive stage on the Tour de France but Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) has offered some hope with his performance that the race for the final yellow jersey may not be over.
Vingegaard attacked the yellow jersey on the back-breaking slopes at the top of La Super Planche des Belles Filles. And while the race leader got back on terms and just passed him to win, the two riders looked very evenly matched as they finished 1st and 2nd.
They both broke the heart of Lennard Kämna (Bora-hansgrohe), who attacked the remains of the early breakaway about 5km from the finish and was passed within touching distance of the finish line.
First Pogačar and Vingegaard overtook him, with less than 100 metres to go, before Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) did the same, to take 3rd place on the stage away from Kämna, who had to settle for 4th place.
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The stage winner and runner-up finished on the same time but Roglič, though he was best of the rest, lost 12 seconds to them, with Kämna coming over the line at 14 seconds.
Then came the other general classification men, in an order that offers the first real indication of the true pecking order on this race. Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) was 5th, also at 14 seconds, while David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) placed 6th at 19 seconds. Enric Mas (Movistar) was 7th and Romain Bardet (Team DSM) 8th, both at 21 seconds.
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Adam Yates (Ineos Grenadiers) snook into the top 10, placing 9th at 29 seconds before Sepp Kuss (Jumbo Visma) finished in 10th place at 41 seconds.
Near the top of the climb, Rafał Majka was the last UAE Team Emirates on the front for Pogačar. However, while he planned to bring his team leader to about 200m to go, he was done with about 900m to the line, just at the gravel section before the finish line began.
Majka was grimacing for a long time before pulling over and waving the yellow jersey through, with Pogačar immediately taking up the invitation; hitting the front and really beginning to close the gap to lone leader Kämna, which was now under 30 seconds and plummeting.
Geraint Thomas and Adam Yates were immediately behind the yellow jersey but were unable to hold him; a gap opening and Vingegaard and Roglič both well able to close it with exactly 800m to go.
The race leader continued to lead for the next 500 metres, pressing harder on the pedals as the road kicked up again as they passed the 300m marker, as the gap to leader Kämna continued to tumble.
However, just as it looked like Pogačar was going to continue pressing and perhaps drop this riders still holding his wheel, it was Vingegaard who lit it up from second wheel. He immediately opened a gap on Pogačar as the group behind them blew to pieces with just 200m to go.
That attack, and Pogačar's response, swept away Kämna, as the two strongest riders in the race came 1st and 2nd.
