It was gracious of Tadej Pogačar to allow other riders a chance yesterday, though he still managed to deepen Jonas Vingegaard’s fading Tour de France ambitions. Even the Danish rider’s most devoted supporters would find it hard to argue he remains a serious yellow jersey contender now. Pogačar leads by 4 minutes and 13 seconds, effectively competing only against himself. The Slovenian has 21 stage victories, and there is a strong possibility he will keep chasing Mark Cavendish’s record. After securing stage 13 on Friday, Pogačar made it clear he has no intention of slowing down.
“I’m not here to create rivals,” he said, “but this is the Tour—you can’t hold back when there’s a chance for a stage win. You never know when it might be your last day here.”
“To put it plainly, the team expects wins. There’s a dedicated group behind me, working hard all season to compete in the Tour and aim for victory. If an opportunity arises, you take it. You don’t turn down a Tour stage.”
Still, UAE Emirates may consider the minimal threat to Pogačar’s overall lead and opt for caution. With three categorized climbs and a rolling descent into Carcassonne, there’s a slim chance for a breakaway to succeed. If that happens, the stage winner will likely be a strong climber from the one-day racing specialists. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Wout van Aert (Visma-LAB) are top candidates, along with Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-LAB) or another rider of similar skill.
For the race’s appeal, a victory by someone other than Pogačar would be welcome. While his performances are thrilling, total dominance risks predictability, and a foregone conclusion undermines competition.
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