The Tour de France is decided.
Tadej Pogacar, the child prodigy of the past two years, seems disenchanted.
It's not yet possible to say for sure because there are still three stages to go.
In theory, anything is still possible.
In practice, however, probably no longer.
Dane Jonas Vingegaard pulled off his feat on a fascinating stage 18 on Thursday, and so did his Jumbo-Visma team.
Vingegaard won the difficult Pyrenean stage over 143.2 kilometers from Lourdes to Hautacam and took second place by more than a minute from the Tour winner of the past two years.
He extended his lead in the overall standings to 3:26 minutes.
That's a safe bet for the sprint stage on Friday and also for the time trial on Saturday.
On Sunday's trip to the final in Paris, the yellow jersey is traditionally no longer attacked.
The 18th stage over three peaks with more than 4000 meters in altitude was a brilliant exchange of blows between the two top riders.
Pogacar kept pushing attacks that Vingegaard countered coolly.
The Dane only needed luck once, when he stumbled on the descent of the Col de Spandelles, but just managed to get his bike under control.
Pogacar fell a little later, but he too was able to continue.
"It was an incredibly tough stage," said Vingegaard at the finish, "I was so happy when it was over".
He dedicated the victory to his girlfriend and little daughter, whom he promised to win the stage that morning.
He did not want to talk about the tour victory yet.
"Let's do it on Sunday," he said.
"We have to stay focused and think from day to day."
Freiburg's Simon Geschke was unable to defend the dotted jersey of the leader in the mountains classification.
He tried to fight for points again on the ascent to Aubisque, the first mountain of the day, but his strength gave out long before the summit.
Vingegaard also got the mountains classification with his victory.
He has won two stages, the two hardest, at Hautacam and at the Col du Granon in the Alps.
The disappointed, sad Geschke had worn the coveted jersey for nine days, longer than any German driver before him.
The favorites drove relatively relaxed to the Col d'Aubisque, a 1700 meter high Pyrenees classic of the Haute Category, the highest level of difficulty.
Pogacar's Team UAE, having shrunk from eight riders to four over the course of extremely hard and fast ridden stages so far, refrained from setting a hell of a pace like the day before.
And the competition from Jumbo-Visma didn't mind as long as Vingegaard drove near Pogacar.
A jumbo driver, however, was in a much greater hurry.
Wout van Aert in the green jersey of the sprinter with the highest point score pulled a group of grateful supporters in colorful jerseys up the enormous incline.
The Briton Chris Froome, the four-time Tour winner, who, after a long period of suffering on the 12th stage, celebrated his sporting rebirth with a third place in Alpe d'Huez, was no longer among the best climbers.
He had to pass, a positive Covid test was the reason.
After around 100 kilometers, the Col de Spandelles with worrying values towered up in front of his colleagues as the second major obstacle: 10.3 kilometers long, 8.3 percent average gradient.
The indestructible van Aert led a small group into the climb, as a green engine with a destination that only became clear much later.
Pogacar directed his last helper, Texan Brandon McNulty, to the front, letting him increase the pace.
But not for long, then it was said: This is the boss!
Pogacar attacked 39 kilometers from the finish.
It was a first test balloon that burst after one kilometer.
Pogacar let the next one rise after another kilometer, again he didn't have enough air.
It went on like this.
Pogacar starts, Vingegaard counterattacks.
Both flew adventurously fast towards the summit, overtaking fallen riders as if they were cyclists.
And still 33 kilometers to drive, 13.6 of them uphill in the final to Hautacam, the toughest test of the day with another 7.8 percent average incline.
On the descent on a rough, bad surface, Vingegaard had a moment of shock, who skidded briefly but saved himself, and a little later Pogacar fell, but immediately jumped back on the bike with abrasions on his left thigh.
Vingegaard was waiting for him, handshake, continue.
Carefully, so that those last lost could dock again.
Vingegaard now had another helper with him, Sepp Kuss, Pogacar was alone.
There were still three of them with seven kilometers to go.
Kiss set a hard pace with Vingegaard and Pogacar behind.
With five kilometers to go, the group caught up with van Aert and Martinez, who had previously been the sole leaders.
That was the plan.
Kiss said goodbye, van Aert took the lead, he stepped up, took Vingegaard with him on the rear wheel and pulled him up as if on a rope.
The gap to Pogacar opened up and kept getting bigger.
When it was big enough to break the Slovenian's resistance, van Aert dropped back.
His captain did the rest.