Tadej Pogacar's name is etched in gold at the top of the Tour de France leader board, and it's fair to say he's on fire. The Slovenian sensation has taken hold of the peloton, leaving his rivals stunned and wondering what they can do to bring him back down to earth. Thursday's mountain stage was the perfect storm for Pogacar, as he dominated the ascent of the Col du Tourmalet, notching up a significant gap over perennial nemesis Jonas Vingegaard.
The writing may well be on the wall for Vingegaard, who's still reeling from his Giro d'Italia-winning exploits earlier this season. Pogacar's impressive display has created a chasm between them, and with six stages down and 15 to go, it's hard to see how anyone can bridge that gap without an unexpected twist of fate – a crash or illness, perhaps.
Geraint Thomas, the former Tour de France third-place finisher now directing racing at Netcompany Ineos, was effusive in his praise for Pogacar's attack. "Super-impressive" is how he described it, pointing out that Pogacar's descent and valley sections were where he really gained an edge over Vingegaard. And what about Vingegaard's prep? Thomas had some questions: was the Giro a little too soon for the Danish rider?
The focus has now shifted from who'll claim the top spot to the battle for second place and beyond. Remco Evenepoel, Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates XRG teammate Isaac del Toro, and French up-and-comer Paul Seixas are all bunched up behind Vingegaard in the general classification – and Thomas even hints that securing second for Del Toro might be a key target for UAE Team Emirates.
But drama's never far away from the Tour de France, and tensions within the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe camp flared on Thursday. Remco Evenepoel let rip after feeling he wasn't supported by teammate Florian Lipowitz – but team boss Ralph Denk quickly downplayed the incident as a minor "disagreement" and "language barrier".
Pogacar, meanwhile, puts his current form down to meticulous preparation and hard work. He claims improvements in all areas – physical strength, mental toughness, experience, and support crew organisation – have given him an edge he didn't have last year when he faltered on the Col du Granon.