Last rest day before decision
Tour giants gear up for the final sprint
07/17/2023, 4:30 p.m
The duel between Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar at the Tour de France is like a tug of war. The two are in a league of their own, only ten seconds separate them. On the rest day, the rivals prepare for the crucial week.
The lovebirds of the 110th Tour de France had the same plans on their well-deserved rest day. Jonas Vingegaard enjoyed carefree moments with daughter Frida and wife Trine, Tadej Pogacar took a break in the hotel with his family and partner Urska Zigart – then the main actors of this turbulent tour of France set off for the same destination.
On the rest day, defending champion Vingegaard and his challenger Pogacar drove the route of the upcoming mountain time trial to Combloux. Each for himself, mind you, which has recently become a rare picture. Of particular interest was the Cote de Domancy, a comparatively short but steep climb before the finish. The top favorites to win the yellow jersey leave nothing to chance. There is too much at stake in tomorrow’s 22.4-kilometre battle against the clock. “I think there will be some gaps in the time trial,” said Pogacar. After a long stalemate, the race is likely to develop a new dynamic in one of the crucial stages.
Vingegaard and Pogacar ride in a world of their own on the tour, their duel at eye level is electrifying, on Sunday they reached the mountain finish at the foot of Mont Blanc after another duel shoulder to shoulder. Since the Pyrenees in the first week of the Tour, Vingegaard is no more than 25 seconds clear as the overall leader. With courageous attacks, Pogacar has since reduced the gap to ten seconds. However, he was no longer able to outperform the champion from Denmark in the Alps. That could change in the long-distance duel on Tuesday. The 2020 and 2021 tour winner said he liked the time trial route, “it suits me very well.” Vingegaard also assured: “I like such short time trials with many rhythm changes.”
A prognosis is difficult
It’s hard to pick a favorite between the two. Pogacar dominated the Slovenian Championships time trial before the Tour. Vingegaard impressed with a second place in the battle against the Dauphine clock. Pogacar’s biggest advantage, his greater explosiveness, is less decisive in the time trial. On the king’s stage to Courchevel on Wednesday, when the Col de la Loze is one of the “toughest climbs in the world” (Pogacar), things are different again.
It’s difficult to predict who will be the first on the podium. Cycling expert Jens Voigt was already determined: “I see a slight advantage at Pogacar, he’s just fresher. His fall in Liege forced him to take a break and give his body time to recover,” said the ex-professional looking at Pogacar’s mishap in late April when he suffered a fractured scaphoid. On his Instagram account, Pogacar clearly illustrated how tactically the duel between the favorites has become with a drawing by a fan showing the two opponents playing chess.
Another top performance from the exceptional athletes can be expected in the coming days. Vingegaard can understand the skepticism that this sometimes triggers among observers. “I even think we have to be skeptical about what happened in cycling in the past. Otherwise it would happen again,” said the Jumbo-Visma team captain.
Vingegaard, Pogacar and a few other top riders have ridden certain climbs this year faster than the best climbers in cycling’s inglorious era of the 1990s and 2000s. “So I’m happy about this skepticism,” said Vingegaard and also provided an explanation: “A lot is different – the diet, the material, the training. Everything has changed.”