Defending champion Tadej Pogačar reminded everyone why he was still the man to beat after he secured the yellow jersey as the Tour de France ended its first week on Sunday.
The Tour’s rest day on Monday will offer respite for teams trying to reverse their fortunes following a gruelling week of riding with pressure and heat, including on the famed Col de Tourmalet where Pogačar blew his rivals away with a signature solo attack that no one was able to tame.
Pogačar on top
Pogačar had been locked in a stalemate with greatest rival Jonas Vingegaard during the earlier part of the Tour, with no time gaps between them by the day stage three came rolling in.
Although Visma-Lease a Bike’s Vingegaard had to concede the yellow jersey to Pogačar that day even with the impasse due to his better position on the stage.
But the lead jersey changed hands quickly in stage four after Uno- X Mobility’s Torstein Træen produced a stunning, swift charge ahead of the GC favourites to finish atop the GC rankings.
Træen’s strong resilience allowed him to wear the yellow jersey until stage six, where climbers faced their first real test on the Col du Tourmalet in the French Pyrenees.
Træen cracked before he could even get to the Tourmalet, and to make matters worse, the Norwegian ended up crashing on the descent.
This blew the fight for the yellow jersey wide with teams scrambling to get their GC contenders into a better position.
All had been in vain, however, when Pogačar attacked on the Tourmalet with the help of his young lieutenant Isaac del Toro.
No one was able to respond – except Vingegaard.
Despite having to deal with a thinned-out team, Vingegaard tried to chase Pogačar on the ascent with mere seconds between them, but a new acceleration pushed their gap further.
As Pogačar cruised in the front of the race that left the peloton languishing, Vingegaard was forced to set his own pace and try to limit the damage until the very end.
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Teamwork makes the dream work
Pogačar’s dominating win in stage six put more than two minutes on Vingegaard, who bowed his head as he crossed the finish line.
“It was a really incredible victory and one of my favourite wins so far,” Pogačar said in an interview after the race.
“Yesterday on the bus, when we were coming back from the stage, we had very big hype already talking about today’s stage.
“We committed, we had nothing to lose – if we explode, we explode. We did it and I am super proud of everybody today.”
Træen managed to finish the race but abandoned the next day after doctors confirmed he sustained a concussion and fractured ribs.
Never say never for Vingegaard
On the other hand, Vingegaard was quick to dispel any talks of conceding the fight to his rival.
“Not the day I wanted, obviously, but that’s how it is sometimes. They put in a big attack on the Tourmalet and I couldn’t follow. I had to settle into my own pace,” he told reporters, according to Cycling News.
“I’m obviously disappointed – I have to be – but sometimes that’s life, and I can’t change it.
“I still believe in myself. My legs will get better throughout the race,” he concluded.
By the time week one ended on Sunday with stage nine, the yellow jersey still sat on the shoulders of Pogačar.
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Sprinters shine despite the heat
While the battle for yellow ignited between Pogačar and Vingegaard, other teams tried their hand in winning a stage.
Mads Pedersen showed another odd-defying performance when he sprinted for the win in stage four.
Not only did he win a stage, but Pedersen also ended up taking the Points Classification jersey until the end of the week.
This was a significant win for the Lidl-Trek rider, who faced a dismal and heartbreaking season earlier this year following a crash that affected his Spring Classics endeavours.
Speedy Olav Kooij, who is on French prodigy Paul Seixas’ Decathlon CMA CGM Team, beat the rest of his rivals to take stage five, while Soudal Quick-Step’s Tim Merlier proved why he was among the best sprinters out there after he secured back-to-back victories in stage seven and eight.
And in Sunday’s stage nine, shortened because of an intense heatwave, the breakaway held off the charging peloton to produce one of the most nail-biting finales that Alpecin – Premier Tech’s Mathieu van der Poel dominated.
The battle for the Tour de France crown resumes for week two on Tuesday with mountainous stage 10 from Aurillac to Le Lioran.
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