Tadej Pogacar flies over the Tour de France as he flew over the clouds of the Col du Portet.

On the 17th stage, the leader of the general classification consolidated his lead over his opponents by beating his direct opponents Richard Carapaz and Jonas Vingegaard at the finish line.

On the eve of the last mountain stage in Luz-Ardiden, the yellow jersey seems untouchable.

"It will be the hardest day on the Tour," the Slovenian prodigy had said the day before.

He did not show it as he seems insolent in the ease on this Big Loop when he has just won his second victory in the 2021 edition.

A stage led by the French

On this national holiday, the French launched hostilities to go to the front.

Pierre Rolland, Valentin Madouas attacked the first but the good shot was made by four other tricolors: Anthony Pérez (Cofidis), Anthony Turgis (TotalÉnergies), Dorian Godon (AG2R Citroën), Maxime Chevalier (B&B Hotels p / b KTM), accompanied by Danny Van Poppel (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) and Lukas Pöstlberger (Bora-Hansgrohe).

The big maneuvers for the polka dot jersey begin at the foot of the Col de Peyresourde, the first pass of the day.

Nairo Quintana leaves the peloton, led by Elie Gesbert, tries to launch the big maneuvers for the polka dot jersey. However, his competitor for the best climber's jersey, Wout Poels, clings to the luggage rack along with Frenchman Pierre Latour. But the peloton refuses to let the four men go. Only Pierre Latour insists but is taken back on the descent.

As the second listed difficulty approaches, the Val Louron-Azet pass, it becomes clear that the favorites and the yellow jersey Tadej Pogacar have no intention of leaving the day's stage to the escaped men. The advance, eight minutes at its peak, melts like snow on top of neighboring mountains. The breakaway broke up in the face of danger and Anthony Perez, regional of the stage, isolated himself in the lead. Dorian Godon makes the junction in the descent.

The two men are greeted by a real human tide in the justice of the day. From Toulouse, the Basque Country, Brittany but also Belgium, Colombia and Slovenia ... Thousands of people came to cheer the runners in the highest peak to date in the Pyrenees. Anthony Perez, carried by his supporters, tries everything for everything and abandons his companion from AG2R-La Mondiale. A real bet with only three minutes ahead of the peloton, which the yellow jersey Tadej Pogacar makes whip by his teammates. In vain, he was caught by favorites at 8.3 km. The French will still be waiting for their second victory in the 2021 edition.

The members of the top 5 are among themselves to explain themselves and Tadej Pogacar immediately places a first acceleration.

Ben O'Connor is the first to crack, followed by Rigoberto Uran. 

As the three leading men enter the haze from the top, the yellow jersey races ahead of the group.

He tries to decramp the attacks by increasing the attacks.

Without success.

Richard Carapaz places his attack before the tunnel located 1 km from the summit.

He leaves Vingegaard there. 

In the sprint, however, the Slovenian is better than his Ecuadorian competitor.

Tadej Pogacar carries the blow 130 m from the finish and wins the stage.

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