Van Aert surges; Pogacar keeps lead
MALAUCENE, France — Winning the Ventoux stage at cycling’s biggest race is a rare and celebrated feat.
No wonder a champion like Wout van Aert, with multiple titles across the sport’s most prestigious events, felt like he posted his best victory ever after mastering the daunting and grueling mountain twice in the same day at the Tour de France on Wednesday.
Near the site where fellow Belgian Eddy Merckx — a cycling legend with five Tour wins — had to be given oxygen soon after winning the stage to Ventoux in 1970, van Aert triumphed following an unprecedented double ascent of the iconic mountain.
The lively stage also gave a glimmer of hope to the rivals of race leader Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia that he can be taken off his perch, after the defending champion briefly got dropped on the second ascent but erased the deficit on the downhill to keep his yellow jersey.
Van Aert was part of a breakaway that formed in the early stages of the 123.6mile Stage 11 in southern France. He made his decisive move on the final ascent to drop his breakaway companions, then kept his advantage on the descent leading to the town of Malaucene.
“I know I’m not the best climber, but when I pick my day, I know I have my chances,” van Aert said. “The first time I climbed the Ventoux, I was 10. It was my first big one. I was very motivated to try something today. This region is really famous in Belgium, and it’s a mythical Tour climb.”
Pogacar was fourth, 1 minute, 38 seconds behind. He did not lose ground on his main rivals, even increasing his overall lead to 5:18 after his closest opponent at the start of the stage, Australia’s Ben O’Connor, suffered a hard day and dropped to fifth.