Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) may have won stage 17 of the Tour de France - his third stage win this year - but he was unable to distance race leader Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) on the climb to the top of the Peyragudes today.
Indeed, while Pogačar got incredible service from his much depleted team, all the way to the finish line, he looked unable to put in a serious assault on Vingegaard, who was isolated at the front of the race a long way from the finish.
Mikkel Bjerg, the 23-year-old Dane with UAE Team Emirates, put in an incredible effort up and over the top of the third last climb of the day - the
8.6km cat 2 Hourquette d’Ancizan. He shred the select group and closed the gaps to a whole host of breakaway riders.
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However, while Pogačar then had Brandon McNulty to lead him towards the top of the penultimate climb of the day - the 8.5km Col de Val Louron-Azet - the Tour champion was unable or unwilling to attack on that climb, even though only Vingegaard was with the two UAE Team Emirates team mates on the upper slopes.
Pogačar put in what looked like a token attack across the top of the climb but when he looked back as the descent began and saw the yellow jersey in his wheel, he did not continue with his effort. He never attacked again during the stage, even though McNulty led him and Vingegaard all the way up the final climb of the day, the 8.1km Peyragudes, to the summit finish.
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The only bright spot for Pogačar was his superior sprint up the steep final ramp to the line to take the victory from 2nd placed Vingegaard, and so gain four seconds on him through time bonuses. However, on a day when UAE Team Emirates were much stronger than Jumbo Visma in the finale, Vingegaard was rock solid and Pogačar never looked like putting him under pressure.
Vingegaard now leads overall by 2:18 from Pogačar, with Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) in 3rd at 4:56. Welshman Thomas rode very well today and finished just over two minutes down on Vingegaard and Pogačar while putting time into everyone else to cement his place in the top three.
More to come.
