Tadej Pogačar, from the UAE Team Emirates, has made significant strides towards claiming his third Tour de France trophy, following a crucial victory in the first peak finish of the race on Saturday. Pogačar, a Slovenian competitor, managed to break away from a select group of leading racers during the finale climb at Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet. Using an effective strategy, he bridged across to fellow teammate Adam Yates with only 4.6 kilometres to the finish line, after conferring with him to begin an assault moments prior. Pogačar benefited from Yates’ initial pacing before opting to continue solo.
Providing his thoughts on his impressive performance, Pogačar expressed immense satisfaction, saying, “The initial strategy was merely to sprint towards the end, intensify the sprint, potentially gain a few seconds, maybe even clinch a stage win. However, this current scenario is significantly better.”
Meanwhile, Jonas Vingegaard, the reigning champion from Visma-Lease a Bike, who had previously outperformed Pogačar in the Wednesday climbing stage, endured a challenging day and ended the race 39 seconds behind Pogačar. Despite his current 1 minute 57 seconds deficit after time bonuses were considered, Vingegaard continues to firmly believe he is still in the race for the Tour de France title.
However, he managed to climb to second place overall, surpassing the Belgian newcomer Remco Evenepoel from Soudal Quick-Step, who is now in the third spot in the overall standings. Ben Healy, an Irish newcomer, greatly impressed in the stage, breaking away from the pack with French cyclist David Gaudu from Groupama-FDJ, 97km before the finish line. He then managed to break away from Gaudu, finishing fourth in the overall Tour.
Healy was initially in a strong position to take the stage win, unfortunately, due to the ongoing general classification battle, he did not succeed. This was largely due to Pogačar’s UAE team restricting the usual liberties afforded to breakaways this year. Nearing the end of the race, Healy was overtaken by Pogačar and Yates with only a bit over four kilometres left. However, owing to his relentless pursuit, he received the most competitive rider award and continues to hold a commendable 14th place. Going forward, he will persist in his efforts to secure a stage win. Sunday’s race, culminating in the challenging Plateau de Beille climb, in the Pyrenees, anticipates another gruelling day.
On a more uplifting note, Lucy Bénézet Minns, a young Irish talent, clinched an impressive gold medal at the junior and under-23 European track championships held in Cottbus, Germany this Saturday. Bénézet Minns led the pack and won the junior women’s points race. Meanwhile, Erin Creighton managed a respectable eighth place in the under-23 omnium.