Tour de France 2023: Yellow jersey battle 'done and dusted' but praise rolls in for Tadej Pogacar

Published 19/07/2023 at 18:31 GMT

What just happened to our close battle for the yellow jersey at the Tour de France? Only 10 seconds separated Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar at the start of the final week; now two stages later, the Dane has an almost unprecedented 7'35" lead in the general classification. For Pogacar, Stage 17 was a day too far as the two-time champion imploded on the Col de la Loze on a dramatic climb.

'It was almost heartbreaking to hear Pogacar on the radio' - Lloyd

The battle for the yellow jersey at the 2023 Tour de France is "done and dusted", says Dan Lloyd, after Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) opened up an enormous 7'35" lead on Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) in the general classification Stage 17.

Pogacar declared "I'm gone, I'm dead" on the team radio after being distanced on the bruising ascent of Col de la Loze as Vingegaard disappeared up the road in search of another stage victory.

Vingegaard's charge was halted when a stalled motorbike forced him to weave through the crowd at a dawdling pace, but he still came home fourth to put almost six minutes into Pogacar on another thrilling day.

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With only four stages remaining, and none of them as challenging as Wednesday's run to Courchevel, Vingegaard must simply stay upright to win a second straight title at the Tour.

But despite his miserable day in the saddle, and his dreams of a third yellow jersey evaporating, praise rolled in for Pogacar on The Breakaway after the stage.

"He has given 100% from start to finish, from Bilbao two and a half weeks ago all the way in," said 12-time sprint stage winner Robbie McEwen.

"We've got to be grateful he was in the race. He has made it what it was up until now. Imagine the race without him, what a walkover it would have been!

"There's so many ifs, buts and maybes that we can look back on. He did everything he could, he's provided us with a great spectacle and a close battle for so long."

The moment Pogacar cracked on Stage 17

Pogacar arrived with a huge question mark over his form and fitness after fracturing his wrist at Liege-Bastogne-Liege in April, with the two-time champion only given the green light to train again on the road in June.

It was rotten luck for the 24-year-old, who had enjoyed a scintillating start to the season with wins at Paris-Nice and the Tour of Flanders, but he must now process a second straight disappointment at the Tour after being outclassed by Vingegaard in the mountains again.

"Even after yesterday's time trial we thought, 'well, 1'38" is the gap and that has been changed in the last few stages of the race in previous editions of the Tour de France'," began Lloyd.

"But I don't think there's ever been a Tour de France where a 7'35" gap has been overturned in the last few stages.

"So I think we can say, barring incident or illness, that the GC battle is done and dusted for the top spot. I take my hat off to Jonas Vingegaard, the way he has performed throughout this race has been incredible.

"And Pogacar especially, he's just made the race really, he never says die, and it was almost heartbreaking to hear him on the radio [saying 'I'm dead, I'm gone']."