Vingegaard leaves Pogacar gasping as Hindley takes stage and yellow jersey
The Dane accelerated about 2km from the top of the last climb to take 1 min 4 sec off the twice Tour winner
05 July 2023 - 19:53
byJulien Pretot
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Jonas Vingegaard celebrates on the podium wearing the yellow jersey after winning stage 18 of the Tour de France in France, July 21 2022. Picture: GONZALO FUENTES/REUTERS
Laruns — Defending champion Jonas Vingegaard laid down an early marker on the Tour de France with a brutal attack that left his main rival, Tadej Pogacar, gasping for air in the first mountain stage on Wednesday.
Denmark’s Vingegaard accelerated about 2km from the top of the last climb, the lung-busting ascent to the Col de Marie Blanque (7.7km at 8.6%), to take 1 min 4 sec off the twice Tour winner.
Australian Jai Hindley won the fifth stage, a 162.7km ride from Pau, to take the yellow jersey with Vingegaard finishing fifth, crossing the line 34 sec behind the 2022 Giro d’Italia champion.
Overall, Hindley leads second-placed Vingegaard by 47 sec and sixth-placed Pogacar by 1:40.
After shadowing Pogacar in the first two stages, Vingegaard stamped his authority in the steepest part of the Col de Marie Blanque.
“He was just too fast on the climb. I tried to hold on until the top but he was really, really strong. What an attack,” said Pogacar, who had grabbed a few bonus seconds in the first two stages but lost big on Wednesday.
“There is nothing you can do when someone is stronger than you like that.”
The stage got off to a fast start and a group of 36 broke away before the Col du Soudet (15.2km at 7.2%) and Hindley, one of the podium contenders, managed to sneak into it with his Bora-Hansgrohe teammate Emanuel Buchmann.
It proved to be a smart move as the Australian is now in yellow and gained time on some of the other riders gunning for the podium in Paris with 2019 champion Egan Bernal, France’s David Gaudu, Spain’s Mikel Landa and Britain’s Tom Pidcock all losing more than a minute.
“I was improvising out there and found myself in that group and I enjoyed it,” said Tour debutant Hindley.
“It is incredible and I have no words. The guys in the radio were screaming ... I just wanted to get as much time as possible and get the win.
“I didn’t really know what to expect. It is my first tour. It is hard to come here with such massive ambition [to win it] already but I want to be competitive and have some form of success and I just won a stage of the Tour de France.”
Thursday’s sixth stage is another mountain ride over 144.9km between Tarbes and Cauterets featuring punishing climbs up the Col d’Aspin and Col du Tourmalet.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Vingegaard leaves Pogacar gasping as Hindley takes stage and yellow jersey
The Dane accelerated about 2km from the top of the last climb to take 1 min 4 sec off the twice Tour winner
Laruns — Defending champion Jonas Vingegaard laid down an early marker on the Tour de France with a brutal attack that left his main rival, Tadej Pogacar, gasping for air in the first mountain stage on Wednesday.
Denmark’s Vingegaard accelerated about 2km from the top of the last climb, the lung-busting ascent to the Col de Marie Blanque (7.7km at 8.6%), to take 1 min 4 sec off the twice Tour winner.
Australian Jai Hindley won the fifth stage, a 162.7km ride from Pau, to take the yellow jersey with Vingegaard finishing fifth, crossing the line 34 sec behind the 2022 Giro d’Italia champion.
Overall, Hindley leads second-placed Vingegaard by 47 sec and sixth-placed Pogacar by 1:40.
After shadowing Pogacar in the first two stages, Vingegaard stamped his authority in the steepest part of the Col de Marie Blanque.
“He was just too fast on the climb. I tried to hold on until the top but he was really, really strong. What an attack,” said Pogacar, who had grabbed a few bonus seconds in the first two stages but lost big on Wednesday.
“There is nothing you can do when someone is stronger than you like that.”
The stage got off to a fast start and a group of 36 broke away before the Col du Soudet (15.2km at 7.2%) and Hindley, one of the podium contenders, managed to sneak into it with his Bora-Hansgrohe teammate Emanuel Buchmann.
It proved to be a smart move as the Australian is now in yellow and gained time on some of the other riders gunning for the podium in Paris with 2019 champion Egan Bernal, France’s David Gaudu, Spain’s Mikel Landa and Britain’s Tom Pidcock all losing more than a minute.
“I was improvising out there and found myself in that group and I enjoyed it,” said Tour debutant Hindley.
“It is incredible and I have no words. The guys in the radio were screaming ... I just wanted to get as much time as possible and get the win.
“I didn’t really know what to expect. It is my first tour. It is hard to come here with such massive ambition [to win it] already but I want to be competitive and have some form of success and I just won a stage of the Tour de France.”
Thursday’s sixth stage is another mountain ride over 144.9km between Tarbes and Cauterets featuring punishing climbs up the Col d’Aspin and Col du Tourmalet.
Reuters
Gruelling mountain block makes for brutal 2023 Tour de France
Vingegaard extends lead in pulsating Tour stage win
Quiet man Vingegaard wins maiden Tour de France title
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most Read
Related Articles
Chaotic finish mars Philipsen’s Tour double
Lafay gives Cofidis team a win at last as Pogacar collects bonuses
Vingegaard out to keep Tour crown with Pogacar lurking
Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January.