On a mountain stage of Tour de France, anything can be epic. There is a moment, especially in the Pyrenees, when the finishline is already shown from a camera behind the finish.
And the riders are emerging from the big nothing.
On the 17th stage of Tour de France 2022, Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), the rider in the yellow jersey and Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), the defending champion, who is currently wearing the white jersey, arrived together on the top of Peyragudes, the last climb of the day. Although Vingegaard launched an attack first, Pogacar outsprinted him and won the stage.
Nevertheless, the day started for the UAE Team Emirates far from ideal. In fact, it seemed to be rather a nightmare. After they lost Marc Soler after stage 16, also Rafal Majka had to abandon the race. Pogacar had only three teammates. Mark Hirschi dropped very early. The 2-time Tour de France winner Slovenian rider could only relay on Mikkel Bjerg and Brandon McNulty.
Probably nobody expected, that these cyclists would deliver the best performance of their career especially in this vulnerable situation. UAE made a bold move, and Bjerg started setting the pace at the front of the main group with around 50 km to go. Soon many of the GC guys dropped.
On the penultimate climb (Col de Val Louron-Azet) Pogacar had both helpers, while Vingegaard had only Sepp Kuss with him. Soon the main group reduced to six riders (Tadej Pogacar, Brandon McNulty, Jonas Vingegaard, Sepp Kuss, Geraint Thomas and Nairo Quintana), then to five (Quitana dropped almost immediatelly).
Another few km later, they were only three (Pogacar, McNulty and Vingegaard). McNulty led the two other riders almost to the top of the last climb (Peyragudes).
And then they duelled on the top of the climb, with the results of Pogacar’s stafe victory. Meanwhile Vingegaard remajned in the yelow jersey.
(Lead picture: A.S.O.)