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June 14 ^th 2025 - 05:37

He beat them to the punch. While the big showdown between the three favorites in the Dauphiné was scheduled for today's stage to Valmeinier 1800, Tadej Pogacar already struck a major blow yesterday, putting all of his rivals at a safe distance. “Why wait?” he replied in a question that perfectly sums up his approach to cycling. There are now two stages left to try and shake the world champion.

His rivals' first task is to try, and all eyes will be on Jonas Vingegaard, yesterday's best of the beaten, who is 43 seconds behind the Slovenian star in the overall standings and whose only chance of victory is said to lie in the longer climbs at high altitude. This is good news, as today's program will take the riders to the Col de la Madeleine, then Col de la Croix de Fer and finally the climb to Valmeinier 1800, a total of nearly 65 km of steep slopes and two quick trips above 2,000 meters. The Dane may have the intention and the means to push the yellow and blue jersey to its limits, but nothing is less certain.

Beyond Pogacar's serious bid for the title in the 77th edition, yesterday's selection also provided some insights into the battle for the final podium. Florian Lipowitz had built part of his advantage through the breakaway on the way to Charantonnay (stage 3), but this time he held off Remco Evenepoel to take third place on the stage, while the Belgian finished fifth. French fans are delighted to see 18-year-old Paul Seixas make his way into the provisional top 10 (8th). Today's challenge will provide further insight into his current potential.