Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar has solidified his grip on the Tour de France lead after dominating Jonas Vingegaard in the Hautacam summit finish stage. Pogacar’s impressive victory, which saw him beat his rival by over two minutes, now leaves Vingegaard trailing in third place, more than three and a half minutes behind. With nine stages remaining, it appears increasingly unlikely that Vingegaard can mount a meaningful challenge for the yellow jersey.
The Slovenian rider, who crashed earlier this week, showed no signs of injury during the stage and dealt a significant blow to Vingegaard’s aspirations. Pogacar attributed his success to being in the best moment of his career, riding with an amazing team, and feeling motivated by past experiences, including his loss at Hautacam last year.
Vingegaard, who lost time to Pogacar in both the long time trial and the Tour’s first summit finish, now faces a daunting task to catch up. The Danish rider is under pressure from Oscar Onley, a Scottish climber who is in sixth overall, but it appears unlikely that he can close the gap.
The stage also highlighted issues with Vingegaard’s team, Visma-Lease a Bike, as they failed to provide adequate support and allowed their leader to ride alone. This incident has raised questions about the team’s tactics, and Vingegaard will need to address these concerns if he is to mount any further challenges.
The Tour de France continues with stage 13 time trial on Friday, where Remco Evenepoel is expected to make a comeback, but Pogacar is likely to increase his lead.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/jul/17/tour-de-france-tadej-pogacar-yellow-jersey-cycling-stage-12-report-hautacam