UAE Team Emirates' Tadej Pogacar wins Stage 14 of Tour de France to extend overall lead

Two-time champion surges ahead in Pyrenees to stretch his advantage over Jonas Vingegaard to nearly two minutes

UAE Team Emirates' Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, crosses the finish line to win Stage 14 of the Tour de France from Pau and Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d'Adet on July 13, 2024. AFP

UAE Team Emirates' Tadej Pogacar celebrates on the podium wearing the polka-dot jersey after winning Stage 14. Reuters

Tadej Pogacar is cheered on to victory on Stage 14. AP

Stage winner Tadej Pogacar crosses the finish line. AP

Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates celebrates after winning Stage 14, through the Pyrenees. EPA

Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates, in the leader's yellow jersey, rehydrates during the stage. EPA

Race leader Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates in action. EPA

The peloton climbs Col du Tourmalet pass. AP

The peloton climbs in the ascent of Col du Tourmalet. AFP

The peloton during Stage 14. AFP

The peloton rides towards the Pyrenees. AP

UAE Team Emirates' Tadej Pogacar before the start of Stage 14. Reuters

Two-time champion Tadej Pogacar surged ahead on the last climb to win the mountainous Stage 14 of the Tour de France and extend his overall lead to nearly two minutes on Saturday.

The elite climbers' duel between UAE Team Emirates rider Pogacar and two-time defending champion Jonas Vingegaard finally came when the Slovenian peeled away with about five kilometres left.

Pogacar caught up with and overtook his UAE teammate Adam Yates, while Vingegaard was initially dropped but showed good composure to limit the damage.

The Dane crossed the line 39 seconds behind the Pogacar, who completed the 152-kilometre trek in just over four hours. Remco Evenepoel of Belgium was third and dropped to third overall behind Vingegaard.

After about two hours riders reached the first of the day's two big “hors categorie” (beyond category) climbs – a 19-kilometre grind up the Col du Tourmalet, one of the race’s most famed Pyrenean climbs.

The second HC climb to the finish at Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d'Adet was shorter at 10.6 kilometres but with a steeper gradient.

Irishman Ben Healy attacked first but was caught by Yates, who set up Pogacar for his 13th stage win of his Tour career.

“Thanks to all the team, especially Adam,” said Pogacar, who won his second Tour in 2021.

Time bonuses for the victory added four valuable seconds and extended Pogacar's lead over Vingegaard to 1 minute, 57 seconds.

“It's a good lead, but you never know,” Pogacar said. “There is a long way to go.”

Evenepoel was 2:22 behind Pogacar heading into another big mountain stage on Sunday.

A group of 10 riders formed a breakaway in Saturday's stage, moving four minutes ahead of the yellow jersey group approaching the Tourmalet ascent.

But with Nils Politt riding tempo for Pogacar’s team, the breakaway soon shredded to five riders, including Healy.

Approaching the final climb, Healy attacked and the four others could not follow.

Healy had a chance to win his first Tour stage and a second in major races following a stage win at the Giro d’Italia last year. But those hopes ended when Yates, followed by Pogacar, overtook him.

Their attack seemed to surprise Vingegaard, who beat Pogacar to win Stage 11 on Wednesday, and it looked like he would lose significantly more time. But a strong response from the Team Jumbo Visma rider helped him stay within one minute of Pogacar.

Sunday’s 15th stage – which falls on Bastille Day, France’s national day – features four big climbs before an even harder grind up to Plateau de Beille.

Monday is the second rest day of the three-week race, which this year finishes in Nice rather than Paris because of the Olympic Games.