Defending champion Tadej Pogacar won stage 17 of the 109th Tour de France yesterday. The Slovenian professional cyclist beat his Danish rival Jonas Vingegaard in the finish sprint after 129.7 kilometers at the mountain finish in Peyragudes. Apart from the four bonus seconds, Pogacar, who lost two important helpers before the section with Rafal Majka (thigh injury) and Marc Soler (waiting period exceeded), was unable to make up any time. Vingegaard is now 2:18 ahead of the 2020 and 2021 Tour champion.
The Slovenian already let his remaining team drive sharply in the first three of four mountain classifications. Only the two-time Tour winner and Vingegaard could match the pace of Pogacar’s helper Brandon McNulty. Geraint Thomas, third overall, and Nairo Quintana, fourth, were already behind before the final. So the duo went together in the final climb, where Pogacar finally had the longer breath. Thomas, on the other hand, is now 4:56 minutes behind Vingegaard.
Today the last Pyrenees stage awaits, when it goes over the Col d’Aubisque and at the end the mountain arrival in Hautacam is pending.
Source: Nachrichten
