Tour de France Stage Report: Tadej Pogačar… What are you able to say? With a pleasant lead and two onerous levels and the ultimate time trial on the menu, the yellow jersey, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Group Emirates) may simply sit again and watch the others, however that wouldn’t the best way of the Slovenian. On the ultimate climb to Isola 2000, Pogačar attacked the opposite favourites, chased down the few riders forward of him and received the stage and added to his lead. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Fast-Step) at the moment are at 5:03 and seven:01.

Stage 19 end

Tadej Pogačar cleaned the desk and took the chairs. Visma | Lease a Bike appeared to be on its approach to stage victory in Isola 2000 with Matteo Jorgenson, however the American was handed within the closing kilometres by the flying yellow Slovenian. Pogačar additionally dealt an enormous blow to Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel.

Is the 2024 Tour over? It appears to be like that manner

Christian Prudhomme, Tour de France basic director: “The menu for this ultra-mountain stage may effectively make you dizzy, however it’ll additionally whet the urge for food of the easiest climbers. Though the stage is lower than 150km lengthy, the riders will climb above 2,000 metres on three events, the most important check the climb to the summit of La Bonette, the best highway in France at an altitude of two,802 metres. Its 360-degree panorama is breath-taking.”

Stage 19 profile

Stage 19 begins in Embrun then crosses two Alpine giants to complete on the climb to Isola 2000. This brief stage of 145 kilometres has 4,500 metres of elevation. From Embrun, the highway is undulating to the bottom of the Col de Vars (18.8km at 5.7%). A descent takes the race to the Cime de la Bonette (22.9km at 6.9%), the highest of the Tour. The Cime de la Bonette is an extension of the Col de la Bonette. It’s a round route from the col, that takes you to the peak of two,802 metres. They declare that is the best altitudes by way of asphalted roads in Europe. A complete of 24 hairpin bends carry you to the summit, however there may be nonetheless the highway to Isola 2000 come. From the highest of the Cime de la Bonette, there’s a descent of 40 kilometres to the beginning of the ultimate climb. The Isola 2000 (16.1km at 7.1%) rises at a mean of simply over 7%. Within the first 8 kilometres, the gradient is above 8% more often than not. The climb then ranges off to round 6%. The end ramps up once more to eight.5%.

Everybody appeared pleased with victor Campenaerts’ win on Thursday

Visma | Lease a Bike had a plan in the present day. The Dutch crew hoped to place strain on chief Tadej Pogačar and so Christophe Laporte, Wilco Kelderman and Matteo Jorgenson went on the assault. They had been the instigators of a sizeable break, with Michal Kwiatkowski (INEOS Grenadiers), Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious), Ilan van Wilder (Soudal Fast-Step), Jai Hindley (Crimson Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) and Neilson Powless (EF Training-EasyPost).

Let battle begin

EF Training-EasyPost was, regardless of Powless being within the break, not glad with the 22-man main group and tried to tug it again for Richard Carapaz. On the foot of the primary climb of the day, the Col de Vars, the break’s lead was sufficiently small for Carapaz, Egan Bernal, Romain Bardet and Simon Yates to counter-attack within the hope of bridge to the leaders. The gaps had been nonetheless noticeable at the moment, as a result of the peloton was not that far behind. On the 20 kilometre lengthy Col de Vars, the tempo was excessive and the main group cut up. 9 riders managed to outlive the choice: Jorgenson, Kelderman, Van Wilder, Hindley, Carapaz, Simon Yates, Oscar Onley, Nicolas Prodhomme and Cristian Rodríguez.

Scotland’s Oscar Onley (dsm-firmenich-PostNL) was within the break once more

The peloton was led by UAE Group Emirates and had been decreased to about 40 riders. Marc Soler and Pavel Sivakov set a powerful tempo, however the distinction to the main group elevated to greater than 3 minutes. With simply over a 100 kilometres to go, the 9 leaders reached the highest of the Col de Vars. Carapaz was the primary to achieve the summit and was ready so as to add 20 KOM factors to his whole. The Ecuadorian was chasing the polka dot jersey.

Jai Hindley (Crimson Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) and Richard Carapaz (EF Training-EasyPost) within the motion once more

After the descent of the Col de Vars, the escapees had a lead of about 4 minutes at the beginning of the lengthy and really excessive Cime de la Bonette. Jorgenson determined to open the throttle, which was disastrous for Onley, Prodhomme and Van Wilder. These three couldn’t observe, leaving six riders on the entrance of the race. Within the group of GC favourites, one rider after one other was dropped because of the energy of Nils Politt. The German, who is just not generally known as a climber, managed to experience out of his pores and skin on the Cime de la Bonette and thinned out the group. It was too quick for some climbers; Louis Meintjes, Tiesj Benoot, Geraint Thomas and Felix Gall, who was eleventh general at the beginning. The Austrian was searching a High-10 place, however in the present day wasn’t going effectively and he dropped down the general ladder.

The yellow jersey group saved the break at underneath 5 minutes

UAE Group Emirates had a plan and made the race onerous. The yellow jersey nonetheless had Pavel Sivakov, Marc Soler, Adam Yates and João Almeida with him. Whereas Vingegaard was already on his personal, however Kelderman and Jorgenson had been nonetheless forward and will assist later. This turned out to not be needed, as a result of the hoped-for fireworks didn’t materialise. Vingegaard stayed the place he was within the group and the opposite GC riders additionally made no strikes, in all probability as a result of they couldn’t.

Classicsman Nils Politt has change into the engine of UAE Group Emirates

Within the entrance group, the six remaining riders rode collectively to the highest, the place Carapaz took the complete 40 KOM factors. He had now handed Vingegaard and Pogačar within the battle for the polka dot jersey. Carapaz was in a position to improve his factors whole even additional, as a result of on the prime of the climb to Isola 2000, one other ten factors had been up for grabs for the stage winner (if he received).

No panic for Tadej

On the foot of the 16 kilometre lengthy closing climb, the distinction between the attackers and the Pogačar group was nonetheless 4 minutes and so the break may dream of the stage victory in Isola 2000. Visma | Lease a Bike hoped for the stage victory and so Kelderman rode onerous for his American teammate Jorgenson within the first uphill kilometres. Cristian Rodríguez was the primary who couldn’t address Kelderman’s tempo and never a lot later, Hindley was in hassle.

Visma | Lease a Bike had Wilco Kelderman and Matteo Jorgenson within the break and Soudal Fast-Step had Ilan Van Wilder, did they’ve a plan?

At 13.5 kilometres from the highest, Jorgenson attacked. The Visma | Lease a Bike rider jumped with an enormous acceleration from Kelderman’s wheel and instantly had a niche. Carapaz and Yates had no reply, though the Ecuadorian wasn’t going to surrender. Carapaz had the issue of Kelderman on his wheel.

Simply what you want if you end up racing up a mountain

Carapaz nonetheless had one thing left in his legs and rode away from an exhausted Kelderman and Yates on the steeper sections of the ultimate climb. Within the favourites group, regardless of Pogacar’s reassuring lead, UAE Group Emirates determined to place the strain on once more. Adam Yates put the hammer down and his tempo was quickly too excessive for 3 males within the High-10: Giulio Ciccone, Santiago Buitrago and Carlos Rodríguez.

It was time for Pogačar to go

Yates’s lead work was to melt the opposition for an assault by Pogačar, who pulled away from Evenepoel and Vingegaard nonetheless sitting within the saddle. The Dane had tried to observe the Slovenian previously mountain levels, he was now simply going to observe the rear wheel of Remco Evenepoel. Pogačar picked up early escapees Kelderman, Hindley, Carapaz and Simon Yates and was searching down Jorgenson.

Nobody may observe

Three kilometres from the end, Jorgenson’s lead had shrunk to about 15 seconds and he didn’t have an opportunity left for the stage win. The Slovenian closed the final hole to Jorgenson. The chief of the 2024 Tour handed his final competitor and soloed to a different spectacular and memorable stage victory and extra importantly: he now had the Tour firmly in his again pocket.

No level wanting again Tadej

The unlucky Jorgenson’s hopes had been dashed, however after a day on the assault he nonetheless crossed the road in second place, forward of his breakaway companions Simon Yates and Carapaz. There was a little bit of a look forward to Vingegaard and Evenepoel. The second and third positioned riders had misplaced nearly 2 minutes to Pogačar on the end.

Job executed

Stage winner and general chief, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Group Emirates): “After profitable this stage, I can verify that the Col de la Bonnette is a scary climb. Once you use it in coaching, you possibly can skip the final kilometre however within the race, in the present day, it was very onerous. Between the Giro and the Tour, I had a tough coaching interval and I knew in the present day’s final climb very effectively. With the crew, we deliberate it effectively and we did precisely as we mentioned. Our race was 100% excellent. My aim in the present day was to win the stage, however as I approached the final two kilometres, I felt slightly drained. I nonetheless caught Richard Carapaz and Simon Yates and I may meet up with Matteo Jorgenson. When it was time to move him, I pushed as onerous as attainable to overhaul him with pace. He was very sturdy in the present day, as had been all the blokes within the breakaway. Hats off to them. I’m very glad. Reaching the rating of fifteen Tour stage victories is kind of formidable. Now I’ve a great lead. Tomorrow I can let the escape go to the top. I’ll do the final two days of the Tour on the roads the place I’ve educated my whole skilled profession.”

There wasn’t a lot Vingegaard and Evenepoel may do

# Maintain it PEZ for all of the Tour closing weekend enjoyable and catch up in EUROTRASH Monday. #

Tour de France Stage 19 Outcome:
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Group Emirates in 4:04:03
2. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma | Lease a Bike at 0:21
3. Simon Yates (GB) Jayco AlUla at 0:40
4. Richard Carapaz (Col) EF Training-EasyPost at 1:11
5. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Fast-Step at 1:42
6. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Visma | Lease a Bike
7. João Almeida (Por) UAE Group Emirates at 2:00
8. Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) Soudal Fast-Step
9. Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike at 2:52
10. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech at 3:27.

Tour de France General After Stage 19:
1. Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Group Emirates in 78:49:20
2. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Visma | Lease a Bike at 5:03
3. Remco Evenepoel Soudal Fast-Step at 7:01
4. João Almeida (Por) UAE Group Emirates at 15:07
5. Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) Soudal Fast-Step at 15:34
6. Carlos Rodriguez Cano (Spa) INEOS Grenadiers at 17:36
7. Adam Yates (GB) UAE Group Emirates at 19:18
8. Derek Gee (Can) Israel-Premier Tech at 21:52
9. Matteo Jorgenson (USA) Visma | Lease a Bike at 22:43
10. Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Lidl-Trek at 22:46.

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