Dominator Tadej Pogacar set another exclamation mark at the Tour de France and cemented his overall lead in the thick fog of the 2215 meter high Col du Portet. The 22-year-old Slovene did not dominate the queen's stage in the Pyrenees as much as he did in the Alps on Thursday, but after 178.4 kilometers from Muret to the Col du Portet in Saint-Lary-Soulan, it was enough for his second day win at this year's event Trip. The Dane Jonas Vingegaard and Richard Carapaz from Ecuador kept up for a long time and had to admit defeat to the constantly aggressive yellow-card carrier Pogacar in the end in second and third.
The dominance with which the defending champion shaped the 108th edition of the world's largest bike race is somewhat reminiscent of the American Lance Armstrong in the early 2000s. Pogacar checked every mountain stage and gradually gained a huge lead, which is now well over five minutes and can hardly be made up on the remaining four stages according to realistic judgment.
For Vingegaard and Carapaz, the day was a success even without a stage win, because they escaped the competition for Rigoberto Uran (Colombia) and Wilco Kelderman (Netherlands) in part one of the mountain arrival double.
For the German professionals around Emanuel Buchmann, it was again not a successful day.
The former fourth place on the Tour had planned to stay with his captain Kelderman for a long time, but could no longer provide much support on the last mountain.
Next hunt through the high mountains
The first two climbs to the Col de Peyresourde and the Col de Val Louron-Azet did not offer the expected spectacle. The UAE team of the designated tour champion Pogacar controlled the pace, attacks from the biggest rivals initially remained. That then changed on the 16-kilometer Col du Portet path, which is considered the most difficult climb on this year's Tour of France. The cushion of the outliers got smaller and smaller until they were placed 8.5 kilometers from the goal. Then the grand finale began, which Pogacar opened with a first attack.
After the queen stage, the peloton has no chance to relax, but rather the next hunt through the high mountains.
At 129.7 kilometers, the short but extremely demanding stage leads from Pau to Luz Ardiden on Thursday.
The field around the safe Pogacar then also has to overcome the 2115 meter high Col du Tourmalet.
For Uran and Co., before the time trial on Saturday and two sprint stages on Friday and Sunday, it is the last remaining chance to make up for time.
The losers of the day included the hosts from France, who longed for the second day's victory of this year's tour on the national holiday.
Anthony Perez and three compatriots went into an escape group, but the lead of eight minutes was not enough in view of the extremely difficult final sprint.
The Grande Nation has had to wait for a day's victory on July 14th since 2017. As for the French pedalists, the day was mixed for the Dutchman Steven Kruijswijk. The former third of the tour from the Netherlands had to give up prematurely due to illness. For the Jumbo Visma team it was the fourth premature retirement after captain Primoz Roglic, the German Tony Martin and Robert Gesink from the Netherlands.