After a dramatic second week at the Tour de France, there has remained one constant throughout this year's race so far: the relentless domination of Tadej Pogacar and UAE Team Emirates-XRG.
As the riders took a well-earned breather on Monday after the challenges presented tackling the mighty Pyrenees, Pogacar is sitting pretty at the top of the general classification.
The reigning champion currently enjoys a healthy lead of four minutes and 13 seconds over old rival Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) with Germany's Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) a further 3:40 behind the Dane.
It has been a spectacular effort from Pogacar that has seen him follow up his two stage wins in the opening week by repeating the trick in Week 2.
Pogacar now stands alone on 21 stage victories – the sixth most of all-time, behind only Andre Darrigade (22), Andre Leducq (25), Bernard Hinault (28), Eddy Merckx (23) and Mark Cavendish (35).
The race is heading into its punishing finale where Pogacar faces Mont Ventoux and Col de la Loze which have caused problems for him in the past.
“I'm almost confident to say the route was designed to scare me,” he said with a smile on Monday. “But I always look at it as a race situation. I actually like all of these climbs.”
The second week had started in potentially catastrophic fashion for Pogacar – who is seeking a fourth Tour crown – when the 26-year-old came crashing down on the roads of Toulouse towards the end of Stage 11.
As Pogacar quickly dusted himself down and grappled with his bike chain, the rest of the peloton sportingly held back for the race leader to rejoin and maintain his second place, 29 seconds behind yellow jersey-wearing Ben Healy (Education-EasyPost).
“I'm quite OK,” said Pogacar. “A bit beaten up but we've been through worse days. Thanks to the peloton who waited … big respect to everyone in front.”
Stage honours went to Uno-X Mobility's Jonas Abrahamsen who secured his – and the team's – first Grand Tour stage despite the Norwegian breaking his collarbone weeks before the Tour.
Any thoughts that Pogacar's title-bid might have been damaged by the previous day's fall were quickly dismissed on the famous summit of Hautcam as he blasted to a phenomenal stage win.
Last season's triple-crown winner powered away with an 11km solo ascent that was set up to perfection by his teammates and ended with him finishing more than two minutes ahead of a deflated Vingegaard. Pogacar's lead over the two-time champion was now three minutes and 31 seconds.
“For sure, you don't know how the body reacts after the crash but it was not too bad,” said Pogacar after Stage 12. “We did a super job. The team rode really well.”
Another day, another victory for the imperious Pogacar who produced another superlative ride to win Friday's Stage 13 time-trial on the slopes of Peyragudes that also saw teammate Adam Yates seal a top-10 finish.
Fastest on every split, Pogacar became the youngest rider to reach 21 stage wins on the Tour, extending his lead to more than four minutes.
“I was feeling good all day, from when I got up,” he said after a brutal 10.9km uphill ride. “I was planning to go all in from start to finish and that's what I did.”
Pogacar was denied a third successive stage win by Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) who claimed a memorable solo victory having spent the final 35km alone at the front.
But the Slovenian was able to land a further blow on Vingegaard by brushing off his attacks before going on to out-sprint the Dane, extending to his lead yet again.
Double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel – who started the day in third place – saw his tour come to an end as the Belgian was forced to call it quits for this year. “I’ve been feeling off for three days,” Evenepoel said. “Today, I woke up knowing I was empty, and on the climb, my legs just said no.”
It was UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider Tim Wellens's day in the spotlight on Stage 15 with the Belgian finishing 1:28 clear of second place Victor Campenaerts (Visma-Lease a bike) after launching an attack with 44km to go.
It was Wellens' first Tour victory meaning he now has a Grand Tour clean-sweep having already won two stages on both the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana. “Not many people win at the Tour de France, so it is a very beautiful victory,” said Wellens.
“I am more happy for him than when I win,” added teammate Pogacar who had crossed the line safely in the peloton, maintaining his huge GC lead. “Beyond happiness. Tim is one of the best teammates I've ever had. He is sacrificing a lot for me”
The race resumes on Tuesday with Stage 16 but there is no let up in the challenges facing the peloton, with riders facing a 171.5km run from Montpellier that finishes with a draining climb up Mont Ventoux.
And Vingegaard remains convinced all is not lost. “I do think I can win it. Of course, it looks very hard now – it's a big gap,” insists the Dane. “But normally my strength is in the third week. We have to attack.”
And as for Pogacar? “We're ready for a fight with everybody,” he said. “Especially with Jonas.”
