Payback

Jack Simes, the legendary American track racer, and I had a good laugh yesterday over how Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard worked over Team Ineo’s Richard Carapaz at yesterday’s stage finish atop the ski resort of Luz Ardiden. Carapaz and his team had used some, let’s call them ‘cute’ tactics on Wednesday’s mountain stage, tactics which served to bond the two young stars – because Vingegaard is certainly a star now – in common cause to keep their top two podium positions and to inspire that bit of revenge.

 The Ineos had been prominent the entire day in the chase after Julian Alaphilippe and his four companions, the World Champion seizing this last opportunity to parade his Rainbow Jersey before his adoring public in a day-long raid at the front of the Tour de France. He lasted until 6-k to go on the penultimate climb of the Tourmalet, after having used up his last remaining energy to give a hand to attacking David Gaudu who had bridged from the peloton. The World Champion, it must be said, has honored the jersey in this Tour in a most honorable and professional manner.

 Gaudu, who had vomited his way up Mount Ventoux and demonstrated fantastic resolve afterwards as his current 11th overall shows, held a 40” lead, alone on the Tourmalet, but behind the Ineos machine was in full gear. Big Dylan van Baarle, on the front of the dark blue train, held the French climber to the gap the entire way up the mountain, took the peloton down that famed descent and went right back to work on the final climb before pulling off for former World Champion Michal Kwiatowski to do his power thing. Gaudu ended up losing 2’50” by the top in a race where he could have simply sat on the wheels and, as it turns out, entered the top-10 overall. But, like Alaphilippe he preferred to attack, to risk it all, with racing spirit that deserves applause.

 There were two tragedies in the 18th act of this opera, the first being Wout Poel’s loss of the Polka Dot Jersey. The Dutchman, who has fought so hard this Tour, been so prominent at the front, saw his dream disappear up the road on the final mountain, knowing that the double points at the top were out of reach and that there was every chance that the Yellow Jersey would win the stage, taking the points and the jersey off his back. That was a tough one. 

 The second was the collapse of Rigoberto Uran who lost 8’58” on the climb, plummeting from a podium contender to 10th place overall. Uran’s fate mirrored that of the rest of the Colombian contingent, surprisingly non-performant this Tour. Superman López, Nairo Quintana, Estaban Chavez, not one of the six Colombians on the start line made a real impression this year, the worst Tour they’ve had as a nation in some time. 

The Ineos were riding like old times, roaring up the mountain in train formation, to do what exactly? Their efforts smothered any possible attacks, attacks that may have opened up the race, all the while giving the Yellow Jersey an armchair ride to the top. “Pogi’s” team, cooked by the efforts of the previous day, with one crucial exception, melted away on that final climb, exposing weakness that could have been exploited with a more attacking approach. One kept thinking, “where’s the payoff for all of this work? When is Carapaz going to attack?” He never did.

 Rafal Majka came to the front and destroyed the remaining peloton for his Yellow Jersey leader, leaving five in front including Sepp Kuss, who gave another sterling performance as the last-man-standing for Vingegaard, keeping on the front with his high pacing in the last kilometers of the climb, crushing any – faint - hopes of a Carapaz attack. Movistar’s Enric Mas jumped away near the end, a move Pogačar simply used as a target for his own attacks. Vingegaard stayed firmly on the Ecuadorian’s wheel when Pogi made his final, winning move, not budging an inch until the final meters, when he sprinted around the Ineos leader for a second place on the stage, and given his time trial prowess, second overall in his first-ever Tour de France. The revenge was complete, the Ineos denied any satisfaction for their efforts.

I’m beginning to love Tadej Pogačar’s interviews. You can see the intelligence in his eyes, the calm way he handles the inevitable silly questions, and the supreme confidence that he exudes. The pride of Slovenia was certainly marked by his efforts, he’d left it all on the road, and has comported himself like a champion through his entire Tour de France. He probably won’t lose his 5’45” lead on Vingegaard in the final time trial – as he, astonished, tried to politely answer that question put to him after the stage – and will win his second consecutive Tour de France.