As Tadej Pogačar took another chunk of time out of his Tour de France lead, Jonas Vingegaard has denied that he is feeling anxious. The gap between the two has dropped into the single digits after the Slovenian grabbed another eight seconds on the summit of the Grand Colombier on stage 13.
Just as on the Puy de Dôme on stage 9, the Jumbo-Visma racer was not able to match the Slovenian’s explosive attack. He held on until the final 100 metres then limited the gap to just four seconds plus the four-second time bonus Pogačar gained for third place on the stage.
Vingegaard remains sure of his chances, he insisted, even if the margins were reduced for a third day in the mountains and the memories of his successful attack on the opening stage of the Pyrenees are beginning to fade in the Tour’s rearview mirror.
Asked directly if he was anxious, Vingegaard answered simply “No. I mean if I win I win, if not then I don’t win. I’ll just do my best and we’ll see in Paris.”
Two brutally difficult days in the Alps are up next for the Tour peloton, and another two very tough stages will follow Monday’s second and final rest day, which will collectively prove a much bigger test of climbing strength.
Perhaps with that in mind, Vingegaard is certain that the current minimal gaps at the top of GC will be much broader by the end of the race. He was also adamant that he had yet to produce his best performances and his condition was improving.
“I think history has shown the Tour has never been decided on seconds or maybe but there’s always something happening on the really long, hard stages,” he argued.
“I’m confident in myself. I’m always confident in what I believe are my strengths. I’m excited to see what happens in the next days.
“I feel better and better and I’m happy with where my shape is. I think the Tour de France will be decided in the next week, so once again I’ll do my very best and then we’ll see.”
Vingegaard explained that the lack of Jumbo-Visma riders with him on the Grand Colombier was a deliberate tactic, given that UAE Team Emirates were pushing hard for Pogačar and he was confident of his own capacity to come through the ascent well.
“We knew they wanted to make the last climb hard so that means we said to a lot of our guys go easy from the bottom. We did a good job today,” he argued.
The longer the Tour continues, as Vingegaard and Pogačar continue to trade blows, the more obvious it is that the two are operating at a level above the rest.
“I think it’s…
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