Pogačar: Vingegaard Did an Amazing Performance, Maybe He Will Drop Me on Alpe d’Huez

Saturday may have been the 125th win of Tadej Pogačar’s career and the 25th stage victory in the Tour de France, but the Slovenian is keeping a lid on any presumptions about the overall.

He’s now a daunting 4:30 ahead of Jonas Vingegaard with a week left to race, yet cautions that yellow in Paris is not a done deal.

In fact, following a strong several-kilometer long push at the front by Vingegaard on the final climb, Pogačar suggests that the Dane could even have the upper hand in the days ahead.

“If my power meter is correct, he did an amazing performance on the front,” Pogačar told media after Saturday’s stage 14.

“I think honestly, he’s missing a little bit compared to the last few Tours, but maybe the bigger, longer mountains like Alpe d’Huez he will get this extra boost. Maybe he will drop me there, you never know.

“He’s there, he’s really strong, and he knows this, but he also knows that he misses a bit of a punch maybe. A bit more grinta. It’s a small percentage [to find], and he’s there with me.

“I would not count him out for the next days. Tomorrow is a good day for him also, and both Alpe d’Huez stages.”

‘My legs are extremely good’

Tour winner in 2022 and 2023, Vingegaard is the only rider to ever beat Pogačar in the battle for the maillot jaune.

He dreams of a third Tour win but was gapped close to the top of the Col du Haag climb on Saturday. He then lost further ground on the downhill and flat roads to the finish.

Vingegaard shook his head as he crossed the finish line, having gone so deep in chasing that he was left vulnerable to late efforts by Isacc del Toro (UAE Emirates-XRG) and Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM).

He finished 44 seconds behind Pogačar yet sounded curiously upbeat at the finish.

“I got the feedback that my legs are extremely good,” he said.

“I felt like I was really riding well. I’m happy with how I rode myself – and the team,” he told TV 2 Sport.

Vingegaard’s tactic on Saturday was a prolonged injection of pace on the final climb rather than a sudden attack. Why was that?

“After the Giro, we know that I might not be the most explosive version of myself,” he said, presumably referring to the fatigue of riding and winning that race.

“So if I’m going to try to get away from someone, it’s probably more on the long, hard stretch. That’s why we first tried to set a hard pace with Sepp Kuss, and then I took over. But I don’t think the climb fully… It was a bit of a funny climb.

“It was very steep at the bottom, and then there was a small descent. And from there, it was a few kilometers where it went a bit uphill without being really steep.”

‘A different battle’

Vingegaard is lighter than Pogačar and he will hope that Sunday’s grueling summit finish at Plateau de Solaison may suit him a little better.

Visma-Lease a Bike DS Marc Reef is also counting on the same thing.

“Fortunately, tomorrow we have a long and steep climb at the end. And I hope we can really fight for a top result,” he told TV 2 Sport.

“We will fight for the stage win, because when it is so long and steep, you get a different battle between Pogačar and Vingegaard.

“We hope that we can win it and that we also manage to put pressure on the other general classification riders and gain more time on them.

Best case scenario: he wins, and he also gaps Pogačar and starts taking time back.

There’s still a week of racing ahead and things could yet take a different turn.

‘Two days ago I was not feeling the greatest’

In 2022 Pogačar turned up at the race as the clear favorite. He’d won the two previous editions and many tipped him to do it again.

However a compromised buildup saw him crack dramatically. It’s something he’s wary about happening again.

“If you remember, in 2023, I lost two minutes to Jonas in the time trial and the next day I lost eight minutes,” he said.

“I think it’s quite obvious that anything can change in one day.”

That’s true, although his caution is also affected by growing optimism.

“I think for now I’m more confident,” he admitted.

“I must admit that yesterday and two days ago, when Trek were going full gas, I was not feeling the greatest. ‘Shit, this is so hard,’

“Then yesterday I felt a bit better, and it was these kind of days you have to get through. Today in the morning I spoke with Urška [partner Urška Žigart] and she gave me a moral boost also.

“I was feeling great today. So far, this Tour has been amazing for me.”

He will hope that will continue, and also that he can find more success in the days ahead.

“Tomorrow’s stage I will be confident, then it’s rest day and a time trial,” he said. “I have to do it like a one-day race and do the best I can do because I’ve put a lot of effort into in.

“Then we’ll see for Alpe d’Huez what is left in the tank.”