Vingegaard trails Pogačar by 2:42 as Tour enters rest day

Two-time Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard faces a significant 2:42 deficit to rival Tadej Pogačar as the race enters its first rest day, but the Danish rider and his Visma-Lease a Bike team insist the battle for the yellow jersey is far from over. Vingegaard trails the UAE Team Emirates leader after losing a substantial amount of time on the first major mountain stage to Gavarnie-Gèdre on July 12, where Pogačar delivered a dominant performance on the Col du Tourmalet.

Despite the sizable gap, Vingegaard dismissed suggestions that the Tour is already decided. He pointed to his own history of comebacks, including his 2022 victory where he overturned a deficit, and expressed confidence that his form will improve in the coming weeks. His team’s directeur sportif, Marc Reef, echoed this belief, stating the team will fight for every second all the way to Paris and that the stages where the biggest differences can be made are still to come. Reef noted that Vingegaard produced strong power numbers on the Tourmalet and typically grows stronger as a Grand Tour progresses.

The tactical challenge for Visma-Lease a Bike is now substantial. Analysts note that simply following Pogačar...