Tadej Pogacar further cemented his dominance in the Tour de France yesterday with a commanding solo victory on the 10th stage to Le Lioran, deep in the Massif Central. The Slovenian now holds a substantial lead of over three and a half minutes over his long-standing rival, Jonas Vingegaard, who appeared to struggle once more, conceding additional time to other contenders for the podium.
The challenging stage featured seven categorised climbs, including the first-category ascents of Puy Mary Pas de Peyrol and Col de Pertus in the decisive final hour of racing. Pogacar’s signature attack on the penultimate climb once again saw him pull away from the peloton, showcasing his formidable strength and strategic prowess.
However, this latest triumph was met with an unusual reaction from sections of the roadside crowd, with some boos audible at the finish line. This kind of crowd response has not been widely observed in professional cycling since the era of Team Sky and Chris Froome nearly a decade ago. Addressing the jeers, Pogacar remarked, “I have haters and haters gonna hate. To all the booers who are there, they just give more boost to my teammates. They put wood on the fire.” He later clarified his comments, asserting that “cycling fans are the greatest between all sports” and that “99% of people are cheering,” drawing inspiration from tennis star Novak Djokovic on how to overcome doubters.
Despite Pogacar’s impressive performance, his UAE Team Emirates-XRG colleague, Issac Del Toro, lost ground in the overall standings, allowing Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel to move into third place. Meanwhile, two-time champion Jonas Vingegaard, while acknowledging his struggles on shorter climbs, expressed a degree of resilience despite finishing 12 seconds behind Evenepoel. Vingegaard recently revealed to Danish television that he had considered stepping away from the sport in 2025, citing the immense physical and mental toll of professional cycling after a life-threatening crash in April 2024.
Vingegaard’s comments highlight a broader debate within the peloton about burnout, an issue that gained prominence towards the end of last year’s Tour. His wife, Trine Hansen, also spoke about the demanding lifestyle, noting the constant travel and intense training schedule. Despite these challenges, Vingegaard finished second to Pogacar in Paris last year. He confirmed that his team, Visma Lease-a-bike, had made changes to his schedule this season, stating, “I also think the team realised that this was how it was, and they could also tell from me that I wasn’t happy last year. They accepted that we had to change something, and we did.”
While Vingegaard, who has already secured victories in Paris-Nice and the Giro d’Italia this year, claims to be “much more” motivated this season, he now faces the dual challenge of not only Pogacar’s relentless form but also the chasing Evenepoel. The Tour continues with Wednesday’s 11th stage from Vichy to Nevers, which is expected to offer a chance for the main contenders to recover while sprinters vie for what are becoming increasingly scarce opportunities for stage wins.