Vingegaard trounces Pogacar in Tour de France time-trial and opens up big lead

UAE Team Emirates rider blown away by dominant Dane on Stage 16

Jumbo-Visma rider Jonas Vingegaard during the Tour de France Stage 16 time-trial on July 18, 2023. AFP

Jonas Vingegaard took a firm grip on the leader's yellow jersey after trouncing Tadej Pogacar in Tuesday's Tour de France time-trial.

The dominant Dane finished a hefty one minute and 38 seconds ahead of second-placed Pogacar, who many predicted would come out on top in the Stage 16 battle.

But Jumbo Visma's reigning champion attacked from start to finish to secure a win that extends his overall lead to 1 min 48 sec over UAE Team Emirates rider Pogacar.

The Slovenian's teammate Adam Yates is now up to third place – although almost nine minutes behind the leader – and is five seconds ahead of Carlos Rodriguez with five stages left.

“I was feeling great today,” said Vingegaard. “I think it was the best time-trial I've ever done. I'm really proud of what I did today and I'm really happy about the victory.

“I think today I even surprised myself with the time-trial I did. I didn't expect to do so well in the time-trial today, to be honest.

“There's still a lot of hard stages to come so we have to keep fighting over the next days and we're looking forward to it.

“It was divided in four parts – first was the flat part and then the climb. You go quite hard until the climb, you go really hard on the climb, you try to recover in the descent, try to hold a little back on the flat part and then the last climb was just full gas. But you have to keep something for the last flatter part.”

Pogacar at times appeared as white as the white jersey he was wearing. He also fumbled his bike change from the aerodynamic time-trial model to a lighter climbing bike at the foot of the steep Cote de Dormancy towards the end of the ride.

“There was nothing I could have done more. This isn't finished but he took a lot of time,” Pogacar said at the finish line.

The Slovenian was blown away by Vingegaard yet was far stronger than anyone else, finishing 1 min 13 sec ahead of the third-placed rider, Wout van Aert.

After the two were separated by just 10 seconds at the start of the day, the margin appears decisive, but Wednesday's Queen stage tackles four huge mountains.