ISOLA 2000, France — Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates delivered a stunning performance on stage 19 of the Tour de France, decisively clinching victory and further solidifying his overall lead.
With only two stages left, Pogacar is on the brink of a historic Tour-Giro double, a feat not accomplished in 26 years.
Pogacar’s triumph on the “Queen” stage, which featured grueling climbs through the massive mountains, saw him extend his lead over defending champion Jonas Vingegaard to a commanding 5 minutes and 3 seconds. Remco Evenepoel, currently in third place, trails Pogacar by 7 minutes and 1 second.
The 25-year-old Slovenian, who won the Tour de France in 2020 and 2021, came into the stage with a 3-minute 11-second lead over Vingegaard. Evenepoel was positioned 5 minutes and 11 seconds behind Pogacar. Pogacar, known for his aggressive racing style, lived up to his pre-stage promise of attacking relentlessly.
Belgian rider Evenepoel admitted to Pogacar’s superiority on the day. “He set a terrible pace, he was just stronger,” Evenepoel said. “I was hoping Vingegaard might wilt, but he did well.”
Vingegaard’s sports director, Grischa Niermann, conceded defeat, acknowledging Pogacar’s superior strength. “Jonas did an amazing job again today. It’s just that someone was stronger than him, and that’s been the story of this Tour,” Niermann said.
Pogacar, who resides in Monaco, celebrated his victory with his girlfriend. Reflecting on his performance, Pogacar remarked, “It helps that I live near here; I’ve trained here a lot and well. I also had good legs. Coming second in the Tour gave me a lot of motivation to get better. This is no chance thing that I’m here.”
The stage was marked by challenging conditions. Although the temperature dipped to a cool 18.5°C (65°F), Pogacar faced significant altitude as the peloton first tackled the Col de la Bonette, a 23km climb averaging a 7 percent gradient, reaching an altitude of 2,800 meters.
The final ascent to the Isola 2000 ski resort proved just as daunting, with Pogacar launching a formidable attack with 10 kilometers remaining, decisively outpacing his rivals.
American Matteo Jorgenson finished second on the stage, 21 seconds behind Pogacar, while Simon Yates, who had led for much of the climb, dropped to third place, 40 seconds off the pace. Richard Carapaz took fourth at 1 minute 11 seconds, with Evenepoel finishing fifth. Vingegaard trailed closely behind Evenepoel.
Carapaz, who previously wore the overall leader’s yellow jersey in Bologna, took over the lead in the polka dot climb points standings with his strong performance. Despite the setback, Vingegaard, who suffered a severe accident earlier this year at the Tour of the Basque Country, has shown remarkable resilience throughout the Tour.
Looking ahead, Saturday’s stage promises more challenges with two significant climbs and a downhill finale. The concluding stage of the Tour de France will feature a 34km individual time trial from Monaco to Nice, potentially offering further opportunities for shifts in the standings.
In the sprints classification, Eritrean star Biniam Girmay retained the green jersey, ahead of Jasper Philipsen, with both riders having won three stages each this year. Pogacar leads the stage wins with four, underlining his dominance in this year’s Tour de France.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members