Sepp Kuss dropped on the second to last climb leaving Vingegaard alone, while Pogacar still has McNulty. This is shaping up to be a direct duel on the last climb. This is too good - I almost can't watch!
Pro Cycling 2022
- Thread starter Mike Smalling
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Not as dramatic as I thought it would be today. Vingegaard looked comfortable had all the answers today when questioned from UAE, looks like it's going to be an all or nothing for Pogacar tomorrow. I think he needs about a 30 second gap going into the ITT on Saturday to give himself a chance.
Thomas podium I think now, he's got nothing left to challenge for GC now.
Thomas podium I think now, he's got nothing left to challenge for GC now.
I would have expected Pogacar to attack on the last steep part of Peyragudes, but can only conclude that he didn't have more after the solid pace set by McNulty didn't faze Jonas. In the end he decided to just go for the stage win. He is seriously running out of stages, and as of right now, there are no indications that they can crack Vingegaard.
Weird day for the UAE team though. Starting with two riders down after Soler's OTL and Majka's injury, you wouldn't expect them to be able to dictate the stage like this, but Bjerg and McNulty found a level we haven't seen yet. Can't imagine they can do that two days in a row.
Yeah I agree with all of that. The interview with Bjerg post race said that Pogacar said his legs felt good. If that's all he's got (without a view on him gambling on tomorrows stage) and Vingegaard managed to keep with him, I can't see where he gets any time back on him rather than on the ITT.
Jakobsen making the time cut by 16 second 
brutal.
brutal.Friggin Vindegawd is so annoying, all he does is sit on the wheel. If you're the yellow jersey, why don't you go for another stage win, show your dominance.
Def think Pogacar is the better rider overall, he just had a poor showing on Col du Granon + terrible luck with his teammates dropping like flies.
Def think Pogacar is the better rider overall, he just had a poor showing on Col du Granon + terrible luck with his teammates dropping like flies.
The purpose of the tour is not to win stages but to win the tour. Vingegaard will be a forgotten winner though. Pogacar has panache and will win more.
Oh come on man. It’s the Tour. I love the new breed of riders but there’s no way he’s going to attack with just two mountain stages left (including today).
He also beat him on a stage. One of the best stages of all time. He’ll be a worthy winner but I don’t think even he would advocate for himself being the better rider. Pogacar is a rare talent.
I think Jonas has the tour sown - Seb Kuss and Wout will be able to help him tomorrow whereas Mcnulty is toast after today's heroic showing and UAE's got no team left to speak of.
Yellow will sit in, defend any attacks and defend his advantage easily. Going into the TT with 2+ is game over.
Yellow will sit in, defend any attacks and defend his advantage easily. Going into the TT with 2+ is game over.
As I said, they've been pretty much inseparable except Stage 11, where UAE fecked up - and whether it was bad tactics, hubris or just bad planning, Pog just blew up. Personally I think he gave Roglic too much respect and should have just covered Vingegaard, but hindsight is always 20-20.
But, Jumbo have a super team whereas UAE has had rotten luck - COVID in the early stages, Soler illness, Majka hurting his quadricep after snapping the chain - you can't make it up.
Meanwhile V has had Wout tearing it up in the green jersey, Roglic gave him a huge help on stage 11, and the rest of the team (Seb Kuss, Laporte, Kruijswik) have been nothing but solid.
I feel the better team will win, but the best rider won't - which is fine, c'est la vie.
What exactly did Pogacar do today compared to Vingegaard? One half-arsed attack at the top of second to last climb, and that was it. He didn't attack even once on Peyragudes, even though he had been carried by his own team the entire stage. Vingegaard and Jumbo-Visma have still been responsible for the most explosive and offensive stage in this Tour by some distance, which led to their solid lead now, and they are quite right to defend it.
As for who the better rider is, that is very debatable based on what we have seen so far. Pogacar is obviously more explosive, but Vingegaard is better on longer, harder climbs and he also showed today that he is superior at descending. Pogacar might be a slightly better time trialist, but not by much.
Honestly, that's a pretty ridiculous thing to say after today's stage. Pogacar was almost 2m30 down at the start of the stage and did virtually nothing of note all day, while he's running out of stages. An attack 100m before the top of the penultimate climb and then basically winning a sprint at the finish after a counter-attack from Vingegaard. Regardless, it's not Vingegaard's job to attack from this position. This might be his only chance at winning the Tour, you never know. He needs to get this over the line, everything else is secondary.
How can you even say that? It doesn't matter what happened before this Tour, Vingegaard has clearly been the superior rider. He's answered every single attack by Pogacar with ease, only losing sprints as Pog is clearly the more explosive rider. You can say about their respective teams whatever you want, the point is that Pogacar hasn't been able to drop Vingegaard a single time, while it did happen the other way around, in spectacular and comprehensive fashion.
Yes, Pogacar is the better rider overall, that's not even up for debate; he might be the best rider ever. He will end up with far more grand tour wins than Vingegaard at the end of their respective careers. But this Tour, at least so far, Vingegaard has been the better rider without a doubt. Should he manage to get it over the line, it will be well deserved.
I feel he gets far too little respect by some posters on here. He's a hell of a climber.
Vingegaard has been the stronger climber all through this tour, even before we get to a discussion regarding team. He doesn't need to do much but follow Pogacar, and with the pace of today's stage it suited Vingegaard more than Pogacar as he was probably on or near the limit. UAE, even with half a team, actually looked like they were trying to manage the race for the first time. Makes you wonder why they've not done this sooner when they had more bodies, and they probably wouldn't be chasing with one mountain stage to go.
I'd say it isn't. Based on this Tour alone, Vingegaard is the better rider by every metric so far. Based on their respective careers and trajectory, Pogacar is clearly the superior one.
I'm in the camp that thinks Vingegaard should've just dropped Pogacar on the Peyragudes today, haven't read any post-race interviews so not sure how he felt, but he clearly looked like he could easily go a lot faster than McNulty's pace. Of course I get why he didn't because he's already in yellow and all he needs to do is follow, but an attacking yellow jersey would be a breath of fresh air for a change. Could've also coloured his own Tour even more with a stage victory, as you obviously don't want to go mano a mano vs Pogacar on a finish like that.
Make no mistake about it, if Vingegaard wins it'll be very much deserved. He just doesn't get me excited or anything, somewhat of a dull Tour winner, but that doesn't make it less deserved.
But doesn’t that then ask the question, what you should base your assessment on? Whole career vs. current form?
Whole career for me. Pogacar has Liege Bastogne Liege and Strade Bianche for example.
Van Aert still doesn’t hold a candle to Boonen for me, with his 4x Roubaix and 3x Ronde. Even though he’s probably more talented.
Fair enough. Pogacar will probably win more races than Vingegaard, and definitely a larger variety of races, but I think Vingegaard might be a serious thorn in his side in the Grand Tours they both participate in over the next 5 years. He has bloomed a little later, but seems to be every bit as good of a GC contender in long stage races with big climbs.
I did (what I thought was) a training ride with Boonen once. I was absolutely Fcuking TORCHED. Finished. Fully dead. He says ‘And this is what we do now to recover’ and smashed back a Stein of beer. Just minutes after finishing. Like, a real world 4 minutes. I got one third through mine and just erupted it back up everywhere.
Finally got my shit together half hour later and said “Do you really train that hard every day and drink like this too?” His turn to erupt, with laughter.
“This was not a training. This was slower than recovery rides. And this…. This is not drinking”
Not a single point of pride in my story. Cyclists are Next level.
Van Aert seems to geared up to stretch the pace today. Pogacar has to make a move on this second climb I think if he's got any chance.
I need to know more about this. How and why did you end up in a bike ride with Boonen? He was my cycling hero during his career.
If you’re one of the guys on the side of the road handing out bottles to the riders, and someone from a different team asks for one, should you hand him one?
Thomas just asked 2 chaps from (I think) Jumbo for bottles and they refused, seems a little mean spirited to me.
Thomas just asked 2 chaps from (I think) Jumbo for bottles and they refused, seems a little mean spirited to me.
From what I understand, it is considered good form to do so - especially on hot stages like we have had the last week or so. Obviously, they need to take care of their own first, but in most cases it will be possible to help out other teams, when necessary.
Poor G
That was a close one.
Nearly had a heart attack.
This descent is better than any climb
Class move from Vingegaard.
Vingegaard waiting for Pogacar is a class move of course, but I don't think I would've done that. 
Pogacar need a new bike?
They clearly agreed to stop racing in the descent and go again when the climbing restarts. I guess that's the sensible option.
Looks a fairly nasty wound on Pogacar's thigh, even though it was a crash in relative slow speed.
WvA would be a genuine contender on 15+ stages every Tour if he was allowed to. Needs to find a different team imo.
I think he's good where he is. The support they've given him in classics and some of the stages is great. How many other teams could give him a rider as strong as Laporte in support?
It's done, WvA playing a blinder today.
Masterclass from Jumbo and especially Van Aert of course.
If there was any doubt about who the best climber has been this Tour, it should be clear now. Incredible stuff by Vingegaard.
This aged well
;-)This aged well
Don’t suppose any has a “as it stands” kom table? Trying to work out where JV, WvA and SG are in relation to each other
Class performance all around from Vingegaard. No idea if it was preagreed or not but if not it was fantastic to see him wait for Pogacar. Would also add some questions to the victory if he didn't, which now was dominant without question.
Dropping Pogacar twice on tough stages and answering all attacks otherwise.
Dropping Pogacar twice on tough stages and answering all attacks otherwise.