Tadej Pogačar may have ceded the maillot jaune on stage 10 of the Tour de France, but he showed no signs of cracking under Visma-Lease a Bike’s repeated attempts to isolate him on the steep roads to Le Mont-Dore. The Slovenian world champion marked every move with ferocity, matching the accelerations of Jonas Vingegaard and Matteo Jorgenson blow for blow before launching his own stinging counter on the final climb.
“They were a bit annoying with all the attacks,” he told RTV Slovenia. “So I decided to make a better attack.”
In the end, Visma couldn’t break him, but Pogačar still lost the overall lead. EF Education-EasyPost’s Ben Healy, part of the successful breakaway, gained enough time to move into yellow, taking a 29-second lead over Pogačar heading into the first rest day in Toulouse.
“I saw that Lenny Martinez was ahead of me from the break, and I got on his wheel and crossed the finish line behind him,” Pogačar said of the finale. “It means a lot more to him than it does to me.”
The Slovenian wasn’t hiding his relief at shedding the media obligations that come with leading the Tour, joking, “Honestly, I’m most happy not to be talking to journalists.”
Visma turn the screw, but Pogačar stays composed
Visma-Lease a Bike’s strategy throughout the final 10 kilometres was clear: isolate Pogačar, test his limits, and exploit the growing fatigue and attrition within UAE Team Emirates-XRG. João Almeida abandoned the race the day before, and Pavel Sivakov is still recovering from illness. Despite this, UAE controlled most of the day, with Pogačar personally shutting down every late move.
“We lost João yesterday, and Pavel is still recovering,” Pogačar confirmed. “The goal was not to let Visma attack us or to defend their attacks. We did a great job.”
After Jorgenson’s digs on the penultimate climb, Pogačar responded with an explosive surge on the 3.3km drag to the summit finish, a move only Vingegaard could follow. That momentary duel, however, allowed Healy to retain his gap from the break and don the yellow jersey for the first time in his career.
Visma DS Grischa Niermann offered credit to their rivals. “I think UAE did a super good job. It was not an easy day. They controlled all day and did well,” he said. “In the end, I think we isolated Tadej, but if he’s as strong as today, then there’s no way you can do a lot against him.”
Photo Credit: GettyVingegaard keeping pace – but still trailing
The Danish defending champion now sits 1:49 down on GC, still over a minute behind Pogačar, but confident about his condition.
“It’s an incredible day for us,” said Vingegaard, reflecting on Simon Yates’ win from the break and his own form. “I’m happy with my legs and how I felt today. So far in this Tour de France, I’ve been able to follow all his attacks, which I wasn’t able to do in the Dauphiné. I think that shows that I have a better level now.”
Asked whether Visma’s tactics were designed to keep Pogačar in yellow to wear him down with daily ceremonies, Vingegaard rejected the idea. “That’s not the reason we were attacking. We were attacking to try to put some pressure on.”
The fight resumes in the mountains
With only a 1:17 gap between Pogačar and Vingegaard, and with Healy now in yellow, the Tour is perfectly poised for the second week. The Pyrenees, Alps, and Mont Ventoux await. Visma’s satellite rider strategy has already begun to take shape, and the tension with UAE is simmering.
“The rivalry is tight,” said Niermann. “Somewhere we have to find the moment to attack him, and that will not be easy because he is just so strong.”
Pogačar might be out of yellow, but not out of control. If anything, Visma’s pressure seems to have only stirred him. Whether they’ve truly rattled the bear or simply poked him remains to be seen – and the answer may come as early as the summit finish at Hautacam on Thursday.
