Tadej Pogacar clinched the victory in the first mountainside leg of the Tour de France 2024, occurring from Pinerolo to Valloire. The stage four summit of the Col du Galibier witnessed an exceptional performance by Pogacar where he outpaced the defending champion, Jonas Vingegaard. A continued rivalry between the pair didn’t faze UAE Team Emirates’ top player, Pogacar, who managed to outdo Vingegaard by ascending and descending more rapidly. On the speedy descent to the finish line, Pogacar extended his lead to 35 seconds.
The lead that Pogacar now holds in the race as a whole, over Soudal Quick-Step’s Remco Evenepoel, has increased to 45 seconds, thanks to bonus second additions. Despite the hard work put into descents by Vingegaard during his forced racing hiatus from mid-April to late June, it was insufficient to escape Pogacar’s lead. The Slovenian managed to extend his lead over the chasing pack, led by Evenepoel and followed by Vingegaard, by 35 seconds.
For Richard Carapaz of Ecuador, the competition soured on his inaugural day wearing the yellow jersey. While trying to navigate the final kilometres of the Col du Galibier, he fell behind significantly. Carapaz, associated with EF Education Easy Post, finished more than five minutes trailing behind Pogacar, thereby squashing his chances of having a podium finish within just a 25 kilometres stretch.
Pogacar’s breakthrough came as he neared the top of the final ascent, sparking an immediate reaction from Vingegaard. However, this time, Pogacar’s speed was enough to leave Vingegaard behind in the final twists and turns leading to the Galibier’s peak. Following that, it was a swift downhill race to the end, with a tired Vingegaard and his weary team trying to ensure their Tour campaign didn’t go downhill as well.
The UK’s Adam Yates (Team Emirates) and Geraint Thomas, the 2018 victor (Ineos), finished 14th and 15th respectively on the stage, 2min 42sec behind the leader. Yates currently holds the 13th position overall.
Note: For top-class political discussion and analysis, tune into our Inside Politics podcast.