Caught in the pincers operated by the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar and the American Brandon McNulty who dreamed of chipping away at the confidence of the yellow jersey, Jonas Vingegaard could have lacked air, support, benchmarks, this Wednesday.
In the magnificent Pyrenean circuses, the Dane has once again displayed his solidity, his serenity, his mastery.
The weight of the race, the expectation and the responsibilities slide over her slender body.
The conditions (rain, wind or furnace) did not erode either his confidence or the cadence of his pedal stroke.
His leader's jersey retains all its shine.
To discover
The route of the Tour de France 2022
The general classification of the Tour de France
During the first two parts in the Pyrenees, he responded with catlike promptness to four attacks from his rival (three in the 16th stage, Tuesday; one in the 17th stage, Wednesday) and lost only 4 seconds (linked bonuses granted at the summit of Peyragudes).
Because the duel, the clinch, has taken place.
And it was Jonas Vingegaard who, on the finish slope (16%) set up in Peyragudes, tried to surprise his rival.
“
I started the sprint because I know I'm less explosive.
That's why I wanted a longer sprint.
»
Read alsoTour de France: Pogacar's punch, Yates' slide, the tops and flops of the 17th stage
The Dane, as when arriving at the top of the Super Planche des Belles Filles (7th stage), was overtaken by Tadej Pogacar, with a more flexible pedal.
Relieved to snatch a little light, the Slovenian, who did not have the legs to do better, let his joy burst after his third stage victory on this Tour (the ninth on the Grande Boucle).
But on the eve of the last part in the Pyrenees, this Thursday (with a bristling stage of the Aubisque and Spandelles passes before the finish planted at the top of Hautacam), he did not throw off the Danish metronome.
Tadej Pogacar dominated Jonas Vingegaard with a breath at the Peyragudes altiport on Wednesday.
THOMAS SAMSON / AFP
Full control over the Tour
Jonas Vingegaard shook more during the 5th stage, full of cobblestones.
Victim of a mechanical incident, he had, in a panic, had to change bikes twice, before throwing himself into an acrobatic and risky chase.
The Jumbo-Visma jersey adorned with the works of Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Vermeer then passing through all the colors.
His other moment of fear knocked him to the ground on stage 15, when the peloton, crushed by the heat, tried to fight their way through.
Quickly back on his steed, he wiped a few cold sweats.
The last.
Since then, he has printed total control over the Tour.
Tadej Pogacar, who has dispersed a lot since leaving Copenhagen on July 1, no longer has the lightness, carelessness and insolence of the last two Tours,
We will give everything, we will see if he has any weaknesses...
Tadej Pogacar
The Slovenian (who can only rely on three teammates) will not give up.
It will apply to hover the threat of a flight until the last second.
I don't know if I have everything in hand.
To monitor Tadej Pogacar, you have to be on the alert, constantly watching him.
He often attacks when you least expect it.
You have to be ready all the time.
This was the case.
This will be the case, assures the placid yellow jersey, which will find in Hautacam a significant place of Danish cycling.
In 1996, five days from the arrival in Paris, Bjarne Riis won there.
Winner of the Tour that year, he was then convicted of doping but had not been removed from the list due to the prescription of the facts.
Jonas Vingegaard, who is "
not thinking about victory yet
", does not want to be wrong.
Neither era nor obstacle.
He knows that today's stage will also climb the Aubisque.
A field, one of the last that could inspire Tadej Pogacar.
“
It's the last chance.
We are going to put the package, do everything
, ”promised Brandon McNulty, one of the Slovenian’s bodyguards, at the microphone of France Télévisions.
Read alsoTour de France: not yet resigned, Tadej Pogacar “promises to attack very hard” in the last mountain stage
“
We will give everything.
We'll see if he has any weaknesses...
", promises the dolphin of the Yellow Jersey, to try to maintain the suspense, to try to take him on the rugged, narrow course of the Rocamadour time trial, twenty-four hours before the Champs-Élysées podium.
In the shadow of the duel, the places freeze.
Stunned in Foix, Romain Bardet recovered (6th in the stage and 6th in the general classification, just behind David Gaudu): “
I survived.
I had fun being in front, but it was so hard… Bouncing back is harder said than done.
There was a desire…
”
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