logo
Vingegaard and team get a taste of their own medicine on the Tour

Vingegaard and team get a taste of their own medicine on the Tour

Japan Times18-07-2025
While Tadej Pogacar has been enjoying a dream Tour de France run this year, his main rival Jonas Vingegaard and his once almighty team are now closer to third than first place after just one high mountain stage on Thursday.
Vingegaard was left shattered by Pogacar's brutal attack in the climb up to Hautacam in the 12th stage, leaving the two-time champion 3:31 behind his rival in the overall standings.
"On the last climb Tadej was clearly the best and in the end Jonas also suffered a lot. Tomorrow is a new day, we will keep fighting," Vingegaard's Visma-Lease a Bike sports director Grischa Niermann told reporters.
"He is the best of the rest."
In 2022, Visma-Lease a Bike riders pulled off a tactical coup in the Alps by trapping Pogacar, before Vingegaard effectively sealed his maiden Tour title in Hautacam by humiliating the Slovenian.
He added another title in 2023 by beating Pogacar by more than seven minutes, with the Slovenian having broken his wrist two and a half months before the Tour.
Pogacar emerged triumphant at last year's edition, when Vingegaard's preparation was hampered by a freak crash a few months before the Tour.
This year, however, the rivalry could reach new heights as both riders announced they were at their peak.
Suffer fest
Pogacar hammered Vingegaard in the first individual time trial and was merciless on Thursday as the Dane's teammates were a shadow of their dominant selves.
Key mountain lieutenants Matteo Jorgenson and Simon Yates were of no help as they struggled as early as the Col du Soulor and left Vingegaard fighting on his own at the bottom of Hautacam.
Memories of the humiliation three years ago must have been at the forefront of Pogacar's mind and everything clicked when he realised Visma-Lease a Bike was not as strong as he had expected.
The team's attempts at upping the pace failed and the world champion smelled blood.
"The biggest switch in my head happened when I saw what Visma tried. They followed their plan, but I noticed not everyone (in their team) was feeling great," he said.
"That was the moment I mentally switched — I thought, OK, today can actually be a really, really good day. Johnny (Jhonatan Narvaez) was still there, Marc Soler wasn't far behind — we even thought he might come back. Adam (Yates) was there, Tim (Wellens) was up front. All of that gave us the belief, the mental boost, that today could really go our way."
At the end of the day, Pogacar won a Tour stage by 2:10 — his biggest margin on a Tour win.
"Based on my feelings, I feel like it is the best moment of my career. I'm riding in a rainbow (world champion) jersey. I ride with an amazing team. Amazing teammates, so it's like a fairytale for me riding on the bike these couple of years now," he said.
"I just feel like until I enjoy this bike riding stuff and enjoy this suffer fest but with the fans on the side of the road, then I think I can still go on."
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

One of the hardest Tours, Pogacar says, as he moves to brink of fourth win
One of the hardest Tours, Pogacar says, as he moves to brink of fourth win

Japan Times

time17 hours ago

  • Japan Times

One of the hardest Tours, Pogacar says, as he moves to brink of fourth win

Tadej Pogacar all but sealed his fourth Tour de France title on Saturday after surviving what he claims is one of the most brutal Tours he has ridden, leaving only Sunday's ride into Paris between him and another triumph in the world's greatest bicycle race. The defending champion leads Jonas Vingegaard by 4:24 in the general classification heading into Stage 21, which will feature a spectacular finale with three climbs of the Butte Montmartre in the French capital — a twist on the traditional Champs-Elysees parade. "Every year we say it's the hardest Tour ever, but I know that this year's Tour was something on another level,' Pogacar told reporters after finishing Saturday's 20th stage in the main bunch. "Maybe one day we went a bit easier, but if you look at the power files throughout the whole Tour, it's been really amazing and tough. Even today we almost went all out from start to finish.' The 26-year-old, who previously won the race in 2020, 2021 and last year, said the grueling route had tested the peloton to its limits. "I must say that even though it was the hardest, one of the hardest Tours I ever did, I enjoyed it and had good shape and good legs. Really looking forward to the last day tomorrow,' Pogacar, who has won 10 stages in the last two Tours, added. After crossing the line on the penultimate stage, Pogacar, who on Friday said he was counting down the kilometers to Paris, hinted at a quick return to his bike despite three punishing weeks on the road. "Monday, I travel home, Tuesday maybe I go on the bike. You never know — if I feel good, I do a bit of riding, stop for coffee and enjoy summer at home," he said with a smile. Asked about a possible appearance at the Vuelta a Espana later this year, Pogacar remained non-committal. "We will decide a couple of days after the Tour, after everything is calm. Then we can make decisions for the next races," he said. "I think it's going to be tough to decide. Of course, I would like to go to the Vuelta. Every year I do the Tour and I would like to do the Vuelta one day also, yeah, we will see." World champion Pogacar has won the Tour three times, achieved a rare Giro-Tour double last year, and has already claimed victory in three of the five Monuments — the most prestigious one-day races — prompting comparisons with Belgian all-time great Eddy Merckx.

Pogačar closes in on 4th Tour de France title; Groves wins penultimate stage
Pogačar closes in on 4th Tour de France title; Groves wins penultimate stage

Japan Today

time21 hours ago

  • Japan Today

Pogačar closes in on 4th Tour de France title; Groves wins penultimate stage

A smiling Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, crosses the finish line of the twentieth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 184.2 kilometers (114.5 miles) with start in Nantua and finish in Pontarlier, France, Saturday, July 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy) cycling Tadej Pogačar closed in on a fourth Tour de France title after safely finishing Saturday's penultimate stage and maintaining his big lead over arch-rival Jonas Vingegaard. Australian rider Kaden Groves won stage 20 with a late solo breakaway, while Pogačar rolled over the line about seven minutes later in the same time as Vingegaard. The Slovenian cycling star leads the two-time Tour winner Vingegaard by 4 minutes, 24 seconds, with German rider Florian Lipowitz 11:03 behind Pogačar in third overall. Barring a heavy crash or illness, Pogačar was expected to celebrate Sunday and move level with British rider Chris Froome on four Tour titles. Victory would also give Pogačar a fifth Grand Tour after winning the Giro d'Italia in dominant fashion last year. 'I am more or less sure of my overall victory, but I still don't want to say anything about it. I want to stay focused until I have crossed the finish line in Paris,' Pogačar said. 'That's one of the most beautiful parts of this sport. We are 180 guys who spend weeks riding in the mountains and in the end, all of a sudden, we come to the streets of one of the biggest cities in the world.' However, Sunday's final stage of this edition is not a largely processional one, as is usually the case, and could potentially prove somewhat problematic toward the end with three consecutive climbs. 'I am unsure of how the final stage will pan out,' Pogačar said. 'The course is relatively short, and that will make for a rather punchy effort.' On Saturday, the 184.2-kilometer route through eastern France featured three small climbs and a moderately difficult one up Côte de Thésy before finishing in Pontarlier. But there was scant opportunity for Vinegaard to attack Pogačar. As the riders set off Saturday in driving rain, the yellow jersey group stayed safely at the front until breakaways formed. When the front group tackled the 3.6-kilometer Côte de Thésy, Frenchman Jordan Jegat launched a solo attack, but he was then overtaken by Australian rider Harrison Sweeny. As rain fell heavily again with 40 kilometers, Sweeny opened up a 50-second lead, only to be reeled in shortly after. The wet roads were treacherous at high speeds. Frenchman Romain Grégoire and Spaniard Iván Romeo crashed taking a sharp turn and slid sideways off their bikes. Both continued. Groves surged ahead 16 kilometers out and held on for his first Tour stage win and 10th at major races. The 26-year-old has two at the Giro d'Italia and seven at the Spanish Vuelta. 'Winning in all three Grand Tours is a dream of every rider,' he said. 'We saw today as a chance to win from the breakaway. We played our cards correctly and I had super strong legs." Groves was 54 seconds ahead of Frank van den Broek and 59 clear of Pascal Eenkhoorn. The final stage of the Tour de France is traditionally a largely processional one, with the overall leader all-but-guaranteed to win — barring mishap — and only the sprinters contesting the stage win right at the end, following several laps around Paris. But this year's last stage is very different and could prove spectacular. Breaking with decades of tradition, it features three ascents of Montmartre Hill, a short and sharp climb which featured at last year's Paris Olympics. Some riders have expressed concern that the sinewy, cobbled Rue Lepic climb, lined with heaving fans either side at extremely close proximity, may be problematic. The final climb up Rue Lepic comes less than 7 kilometers from the end, before the riders finish on the Champs-Elysées. Around 3,000 police officers will be deployed to ensure security over the 132.3-kilometer route, which starts from the outskirts of Paris at Mantes-la-Ville before heading into the city. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Master Pogacar has Tour de France peloton under his thumb
Master Pogacar has Tour de France peloton under his thumb

Japan Times

time2 days ago

  • Japan Times

Master Pogacar has Tour de France peloton under his thumb

Such is Tadej Pogacar's domination on the Tour de France that what began as a frantic chase for stage wins has morphed into a racing masterclass — a reigning champion pulling the strings on his way to a fourth title. Since the Slovenian declared he would not grant any freebies after he won four of the opening 13 stages, he has not crossed the line first and Friday's final mountain trek showed that he might have changed his mind along the way. The UAE Emirates-XRG rider was just content with setting the pace in the final climb of Friday's 19th stage, a short yet brutal Alpine trek to La Plagne, letting Thymen Arensman celebrate a second victory this year after the Dutchman battled solo on the steep slopes through episodes of heavy rain in sub-10 degrees Celsius temperatures. The contrast with Pogacar's almost effortless style on the last mountain day was striking as the three-time champion controlled chief rival Jonas Vingegaard, who appeared resigned to defeat. "It started to be very long, especially with the weather today. I just want to go on the (team) bus and go take a hot shower," Pogacar told reporters. "I tried (to attack once) as soon as (the) Decathlon (team) stopped with their hard pace. It was too early and nobody contributed to the chase of Arensman. So I just kept the pace and I was counting down the kilometers to Paris. "I just set the pace that I felt comfortable with and if somebody would attack from my wheel, then I could still accelerate." He did not need to, and did not bother to either, in the finale, where any move by the 26-year-old would have obliterated Arensman's chances. The same quiet authority was on display on Thursday on the Col de la Loze: no fireworks, just total control as he let Australian Ben O'Connor ride to the stage win. Pogacar leads Vingegaard by 4:24 and only a major incident would see him not win the race for the fourth time after his triumphs in 2020, 2021 and 2024. Pogacar is now unlikely to be bothered by Vingegaard's Visma-Lease a Bike team, with the biggest scare over the last couple of days being when he bumped into the rear of one of their team cars. Saturday's stage is hilly but does not provide any major difficulty for the overall leaders. Sunday's stage to Paris, while featuring three ascents of the Butte Montmartre, will not be tough enough to shake up the general classification. Asked if he was bored — having been sitting on a cushion of over four minutes since Stage 13 — as the race approaches the end, Pogacar said: "I'm obviously tired. It hasn't been an easy Tour. People have been attacking me from left, right and center. "From Day 1 to the end, I've had to stay focused and motivated. The main priority was always the yellow jersey. "Sometimes, all you can do is keep counting down the distance to the finish line. That's how it is." For most riders, counting down the kilometers to the finish line on the Champs Elysees is an act of survival. For Pogacar, it's the ultimate luxury.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store