Vingegaard seizes lead after champ fades in mountains
The first big mountain stage shook things up at the Tour de France as defending champion Tadej Pogacar wilted toward the end of Wednesday’s 11th stage and lost the yellow jersey.
Jonas Vingegaard and his team JumboVisma were the big winners on the stage as the Danish rider claimed the famed jersey from Pogacar, the two-time defending champion who had been the dominant rider so far but cracked in the final ascent on Wednesday and fell more than 2 minutes behind.
Vingegaard and his teammates put on an impressive collective display throughout the day, with clever tactics early in the race and multiple attacks that ultimately unsettled Pogacar.
Vingegaard moved away from Pogacar in the brutal climb to the top of the Col du Granon to enjoy a winning finish to an epic day in the Alps. The 152-kilometer stage featured two other monster ascents, the daunting Col du Telegraphe and Col du Galibier.
It was Vingegaard’s first stage win at cycling’s biggest race. The Danish rider was runner-up last year in the general classification behind Pogacar.
“When I attacked I felt he was going to crack,” Vingegaard said. “This time I wanted victory.
And I succeeded, and now I have the yellow jersey to keep on fighting all the way to Paris.”
Vingegaard was first at the summit, 59 seconds ahead of Nairo Quintana, with Romain Bardet in third place, 1:10 behind. Geraint Thomas, the 2018 Tour winner, was fourth, 1:38 back.
After 11 stages, Vingegaard leads Bardet by 2 minutes, 16 seconds. Pogacar moved down to third, 2:22 back.
With his teammate Primoz Roglic, Vingegaard relentlessly attacked Pogacar in the thin air.
“On the Galibier, over the top, he was very strong,” Vingegaard said. “I was insecure whether he was going full gas or not. Then I thought that, if I didn’t try all out, I was never gonna win. And of course a second place is nice, but I did it last year already.”
ETC.
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