It was the backward glance that sealed the deal, the final blow to a Tour that, barring a major surprise, was decided on the slopes of Plateau de Beille, a week before the unprecedented finish in Nice and with the Alps still to come. Jonas Vingegaard was brave because he had no other choice and fought to the end, attacking the one who is incomparable. Tadej Pogacar is undoubtedly the strongest. He raised his arms for the third time and knew that the reconquest was a reality.
The faces hide the suffering, but after so many battles, Tadej and Jonas analyze every move of their rival. There are no more secrets between them. Unable to withstand the final surges of the Slovenian, who was pulling away in the general classification, Vingegaard chose to change his strategy, to show all his cards. At the risk of losing everything, as it turned out. He matured the stage with his team, taking on the responsibility for the first time in the four preceding climbs before the finish, starting with the Col de Peyresourde under the heat of the Pyrenees that forced the cyclists to already wear ice vests at the finish in Loundeville.
And the Dane attacked fiercely early on, more than 10 kilometers from the summit of Plateau de Beille, to set up a mano a mano, to see if the high mountains, the accumulated efforts, and the heat were his advantage against Pogacar. To explore all possible limits. But his Nemesis did not yield, seeking water and relief in his slipstream, sharpening his deadly axe, knowing that resisting was already a victory but wanting more. The leader did not hesitate, even from a distance, to stage a true devastation.
Vingegaard looked back after his final acceleration and Tadej knew it was his moment. There were almost five and a half kilometers left, and the UAE rider launched himself, unstoppable to the finish, voracious. Psychologically breaking his opponent. He outpaced him by 1:08, a distance never seen before, leaving him over three minutes behind in the general classification. The rest was a massacre: Evenepoel at 2:51, Landa at 3:54, Almeida, Yates, and Carlos Rodríguez even further back.
A stage to remember. Because it is a duel never seen before in the history of cycling. There are no precedents of two riders with such self-esteem, with so much superiority, with the ability to absorb blows and prepare for the next assault. It is a daily battle where everything matters. Their own strengths, the team's courage, the weather, the terrain, and even the passing of days.
A day when finally, Enric Mas appeared in a Tour that had not been kind to him, where he found himself out of contention early on, prolonging his misfortune. With no chances in the general classification that was his goal until recently (always frustrated), he chose the toughest stage so far to step up, to join the breakaway of the day, and to be part of the quintet that held on until the final climb. On the slopes of Plateau de Beille (almost 16 kilometers with an average gradient of 7.9%), the Balearic rider arrived alongside De Plus, Hindley, Carapaz, and Jonannessen with a lead of over two and a half minutes.
But what was coming from behind was a hurricane.