Lennard Kämna swept past the yellow jersey at the place of his breakthrough in the Tour de France.

Four days after missing his coup by 100 meters on the Super Planche des Belles Filles, the 25-year-old from the German team Bora-hansgrohe in Megeve was eleven seconds short of the second mountain finish of the 109th Tour of France to give Tadej Pogacar the maillot jaune to snatch.

In the overall classification, Kämna, who finished tenth, climbed to second place.

Georg Zimmermann shone in sixth ahead of Kämna.

"Today I had the feeling that everyone was racing against me in the leading group," said Kämna on ARD: "It really wasn't fun going up the first hill.

In the end I drove everything I had.”

At the same time, compatriot Simon Geschke defended the mountain jersey he conquered on Sunday over the 148.1 km.

Defending champion Pogacar still has a lot to worry about despite the narrowly defended overall lead after the second corona case in his UAE team.

The day's win went to the Dane Magnus Cort Nielsen (EF Education).

A climate strike stops the race

In August 2020, Kämna had celebrated his first professional victory at the Criterium du Dauphine at the top of the Megeve airfield, a month later he celebrated his first tour success in Villard-de-Lans with an impressive solo ride on stage 16.

On the first "real" rest day on Monday, Kämna underpinned his ambitions after only just missing out on victory on Friday.

“There are still a couple of beautiful mountain stages, I will definitely try it again.

There will still be a chance,” said the German time trial champion.

After what was expected to be a turbulent initial phase, it took almost 65 km for a breakaway group to form.

And Kämna didn't miss it.

Also in the group of 25 riders was Georg Zimmermann.

At the top, the group drove over nine minutes to the main field around dominator Pogacar.

Even a short-term climate strike did not initially upset Kämna and Co.

The incident happened a good 36 kilometers from the finish in Megève.

At that time, the Italian Alberto Bettiol was in front, who had broken away from a large breakaway group with Kämna.

The peloton was a good seven minutes behind.

TV pictures showed up to 20 demonstrators on the street detonating pyrotechnics.

On Twitter, climate activists took responsibility for the action.

The tour organization announced that the stage should continue after the neutralization with the same time intervals.

The race resumed about ten minutes later.

Kämna's strength is fading

In the gripping 21 km long climb up to Megeve, Kämna's strength visibly dwindled, the exciting finale of the breakaway group, which Magnus Cort won in the photo finish, he only followed from a distance.

Then the wait for Pogacar began.

But the Slovenian was eleven seconds too fast.

The second mountain finish is on the program in the Alps on Wednesday - and it's tough.

36 years after the first and so far last visit to the Tour of France at the Col du Granon Serre Chevalier, Pogacar must not show any weaknesses against his worst opponents.

It is a key stage of this tour.