Tour de France 2023, Woods wins on the Puy de Dome. Pogacar earns again on Vingegaard- Corriere.it

All in 1,400 metres. At 1,400 meters from the summit of Puy de Domeafter long minutes in which the two looked at each other, Tadej Pogacar snapped violently in the face a Jonas Vingeegard. The Dane (in the yellow jersey and winner in 2022) came back under him like a spring but after two hundred meters it began to stiffen and the gap between the two widened up to 6/7 seconds. But there was no collapse, there was no surrender even on slopes close to 15%. In the stage won big by the Dane Michael Woods (snatched from cycling to the middle distance of athletics by an injury) Pogacar brings the count of direct uphill challenges with his great rival to 2 to 1heeling him by 8” on the finish line.

Vingegaard and Pogacar are very close

And he almost evens the score in the general standings: Vingegaard now has only 17” seconds ahead of him and with Jay Hindley who crashed the fight to win the Tour 110 to 2’40” from the yellow jersey more and more business between the two Martians who today let a breakaway from a distance take off which reached a 15′ advantage and arrived with 8′. The return after 35 years of the Grande Boucle on the Puy de Dme, in a crazy public setting until the blockade imposed by the authorities 4.5 kilometers from the finish to protect the runners, was characterized by the fear of attacking by both great rivals, who feared a possible mutual counter-attack and at one point they slowed down a lot.

When he moved, Pogacar gave the impression of being able to make a vacuum but in reality the values ​​between him and the Dane (more suited to very steep slopes) are so level that it was almost impossible for him to make a big difference. Now it will be a question of understanding how both will absorb the day of rest on Monday. Very undulating stage on Tuesday with arrival in Issoire, Thursday and Friday also but the wait is all for Friday 14 July with the arrival at high altitude on the dreaded Grand Colombier.