By Canadian Press

Pogacar moves closer to a 3rd Tour de France title after dominant win in the mountains

Jul 19, 2024 | 8:44 AM

Tadej Pogacar took a giant step closer to clinching a third Tour de France title after winning another tough mountain stage on Friday, pulling away from Jonas Vingegaard to move five minutes ahead of his main rival with two days left.

The Slovenian looks almost certain to reclaim the Tour crown from Vingegaard, the two-time defending champion from Denmark, who is 5 minutes, 3 seconds behind him. Tour debutant Remco Evenepoel of Belgium is 7:01 adrift in third place.

Pogacar attacked with about 9 kilometers (6 miles) left on the final climb of 16 kilometers (10 miles) to the Isola 2000 ski resort. Vingegaard could not follow as Pogacar chased after the Dane’s Jumbo Visma teammate, Matteo Jorgenson. The American rider was alone in front with Richard Carapaz and Simon Yates just behind him.

Carapaz and Yates were caught by Pogacar, leaving just Jorgenson ahead. But he was also overtaken with two kilometers left as Pogacar soared to his fourth stage win at this year’s race — holding up four fingers to the fans — and 15th Tour stage victory of his career.

After four hours in the saddle, Pogacar looked behind him one last time but none of his rivals were visible.

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He raised both hands in the air as he crossed the line, with Jorgensen finishing 21 seconds behind and Yates 40 seconds back in third. Carapaz was 1:11 back in fourth spot.

Evenepoel placed fifth ahead of a disconsolate Vingegaard, with both riders timed at 1:42 behind Pogacar.

Saturday’s 20th and penultimate stage stays in the southern Alps and features three hard category 1 ascents, the last taking the riders up Col de la Couillole.

The Tour ends Sunday on the French Riviera with a time trail from Monaco to Nice, and not in Paris as it usually does because of the Olympic Games.

Friday’s high-altitude stage may have been Vingegaard’s last chance to take significant time back from Pogacar.

Two of Vingegaard’s Visma teammates — Jorgensen and Dutchman Wilko Kelderman — positioned themselves at the front of a small breakaway and set a strong pace in hot conditions.

The 145-kilometer (90-mile) trek featured two huge climbs known as “hors categorie” (beyond category).

The first came early in the stage, up Col de Vars, and the second just after halfway through: to Cime de la Bonette, France’s highest road at an altitude of 2,802 meters.

Despite having two riders at the front, Vingegaard did not attack Pogacar.

After a long descent, there was another hard grind to Isola 2000. Vingegaard could not catch Pogacar and, instead, found himself under pressure from Evenepoel, who just beat him in a sprint to the line.

It was a day to forget for Vingegaard, and another one to savor for Pogacar.

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AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports

The Associated Press