Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard had another intense battle on the Tour de France, with the defending champion gaining just one second over the two-time winner at the end of a challenging stage filled with incidents. Pogacar beat Vingegaard in the sprint for second place, but now trails the Dane by only 10 seconds, as Vingegaard picked up an extra bonus second. Pogacar launched a fierce sprint for bonus seconds at the top of the Col de Joux Plane but was caught off guard by Vingegaard. The Jumbo Visma leader took eight bonus seconds, while Pogacar took five. Pogacar received a six-second bonus for second place on the stage, while Vingegaard took four.

Pogacar acknowledged the difficulty of dropping Vingegaard but expressed confidence in his performance throughout the day. He praised Jumbo Visma for their strong performance but felt that their investment into the day did not pay off as expected. Pogacar made the first attack on the Col de Joux Plane, opening a five-second gap, but Vingegaard remained composed and closed the gap. Pogacar attempted a sprint but was blocked by a photographer’s motorbike, causing him to lose an opportunity. In the descent into Morzine, Pogacar put pressure on Vingegaard, but the Danish rider took risks to stay close. Carlos Rodriguez won the stage, securing his first Tour stage win and third place overall.

The stage was marred by a massive pile-up at the start, leading to several riders abandoning the race. Pogacar and Vingegaard will continue their battle in the upcoming 15th stage.

The post Vintage duel continues as Vingegaard, Pogacar draw on first Alpine stage appeared first on Rush Hour Daily News | Breaking News, U.S & World News, Politics & Opinions - News around the Worlds.