Tour de France 2024: Tadej Pogacar wins solo and takes more than a minute from Jonas Vingegaard, during the 15th stage
|Pogacar, seul au monde. MAXPPP – DAVID PINTENS
Tadej Pogacar stunned the Tour de France by winning the 15th stage on the Plateau de Beille on Sunday, solo, with a 1:08 lead over Jonas Vingegaard.
In the general classification, the Slovenian now has a 3:09 lead over his great Danish rival, whom he took 5.4 km from the summit. This is already Pogacar's third stage victory in this Tour, his 14th overall and his second in two days in the Pyrenees, where he seems to have killed all suspense even before the last week and the finale in the Alps.
The UAE leader, who is aiming for a Giro-Tour double not seen since 1998, built his victory in two stages during this very difficult stage, run in intense heat, with five major climbs on the program. He first followed Vingegaard like a shadow when the Dane, forced to go on the offensive given his delay in the general, placed a sharp attack 10.5 km from the goal after a huge relay of Matteo Jorgenson.
He left alone 5.4 km from the finish
The two double winners of the Tour quickly swallowed up the last escapees, nevertheless big names (Richard Carapaz, Jai Hindley, Enric Mas, Laurens De Plus and Tobias Johannessen), but who did not weigh heavily against their striking power. Pogacar, very comfortable in the wake of Vingegaard, then countered 5.4 km from the summit to set off alone to attack the last slopes and take a big option on the final victory, three years after his second and final coronation.
Tadej Pogacar écrase le Tour ! Le maillot jaune slovène s'impose en solitaire au plateau de Beille avec 1'08'' d'avance sur Jonas Vingegaard ! #LesRP #TDF2024 pic.twitter.com/ufIfUznP4i
— Eurosport France (@Eurosport_FR) July 14, 2024
Behind, Remco Evenepoel followed at his own pace alone, left behind by the duo but stronger than all the others, including Carlos Rodriguez, fifth overall at the start of the stage, at the derivative. The Belgian finished the stage in third position, 2:51 behind Pogacar, to almost secure his place on the podium.