Tadej Pogacar got a comforting hug from his friend Urska Zigart, Jonas Vingegaard pressed his daughter Frida after the next repelled attack on his yellow jersey. After the first stage in the Alps of the 110th Tour de France, which was overshadowed by a mass fall and involved numerous tasks, the two competitors were only ten seconds apart in the overall standings.
Tour de France: Motorbike prevents Tadej Pogacar’s attack
Whether it could have been less on the way to Morzine with 4100 meters of altitude remains a secret. Because two escort motorcycles rudely slowed down an attack by Pogacar on the Col de Joux Plane just before the summit. The Tour de France organizers reacted and penalized two motorcycle crews. A TV and a photographer’s motorcycle will be closed for the 15th stage on Sunday. In addition, both crews have to pay a fine of 500 Swiss francs (around 515 euros). Tour organizer ASO announced this on Saturday evening.
“I wanted to attack one last time before the pass. I put everything in, then the bikes didn’t move. I wasted a cartridge there. But it is how it is. We’ll try again,” said Pogacar, who ended up second at Morzine, just ahead of Vingegaard. The Spaniard Carlos Rodriguez, who is now third in the overall standings, secured the day’s victory.
Pogacar attacked at Joux Plane, putting a small gap between himself and Vingegaard. But the Dane recovered and drove up again. When Pogacar started again 500 meters from the pass, he couldn’t get past a photographer’s and a TV bike. Vingegaard then surprised his opponent at the top of the pass and secured three bonus seconds. At the finish, Pogacar regained two seconds with his second place. “It was a big fight. I’m happy to have gained a second,” said Vingegaard.
ARD commentator freaks out in the motorcycle incident
ARD commentator Florian Naß is beside himself during the incident: “It’s bad that the motorcycles are there. That absolutely cannot be true. This is an absurdity, this is an absolute absurdity. My god again.”
He continues, audibly sour: “The jury must have announced that more clearly beforehand. That can’t be true.” Even in the last ten meters there are always small incidents with motorcycles. In the end, the two competitors go on a wild tour with a time difference of only ten seconds in the last week of the tour. A crazy duel between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard.
