Pogacar's Team Shocked but Prepared to Give It Their All Once More to Outdo Vingegaard

 

Tadej Pogacar took a heavy blow from the Tour de France's current leader, Jonas Vingegaard, during Tuesday's time trial, leaving him with no choice but to go all out on Wednesday's demanding final Alpine stage. However, Pogacar's chances of claiming a third title seem uncertain.

The defending champion, Vingegaard, dominated Pogacar in the 22.4-kilometer time trial, widening the overall gap to one minute and 48 seconds, leaving Pogacar and his team astonished.

Last year, Vingegaard gained an advantage over Pogacar with an impressive performance from his Jumbo-Visma team in the challenging Alpine stage known as the 'stage of the century.'

This time, Vingegaard single-handedly caused significant damage with a mind-blowing performance in the individual time trial, forcing Pogacar once again to take significant risks in the final stretch of the race.

Pogacar had previously demonstrated his willingness to go all-in during the Pyrenees last year, launching a relentless attack against Vingegaard before eventually faltering on the final climb up to Hautacam.

The upcoming 17th stage on Wednesday from Saint Gervais presents a golden opportunity for Pogacar to strike back, featuring a grueling climb up to the Col de la Loze (28.1km at 6%, culminating at 2,304 meters) and a short, brutal uphill finish up to Courchevel.

"Jonas is on a different level," said Matxin Fernandez, Pogacar's sports director at UAE Emirates. "With this gap, it's complicated now. But tomorrow, the mindset of the team will be 'attack.' We have two opportunities, tomorrow and in the 20th stage (on Saturday). Now it's going to be attack, attack, and attack."

Pogacar's expertise on steep and short sections could give him an advantage, but it remains uncertain if he has fully recovered psychologically. Moreover, his form is also a question mark.

"Let's remember that last year and in the last two weeks, it was complicated to drop Jonas, so we are going to try but be realistic," said UAE Emirates team manager Mauro Gianetti.

Pogacar's bold and relentless approach could be an asset, and the 24-year-old will aim to create a gap at the top of the Col de la Loze and expand it during the perilous descent before the final short climb.

However, this strategy will only work if he has the physical strength to do so, raising concerns about the impact of his hampered preparation for the Tour due to a fractured wrist sustained in April.

Throughout this Tour, Pogacar has been unable to gain more than 25 seconds on Vingegaard in a single stage.

Additionally, forecasted thunderstorms might also play a role, as Pogacar would hope for adverse weather conditions, as a chaotic race day could provide an opportunity to turn the tables.