Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates secured a decisive win on stage 19 of the Tour de France on Friday, significantly extending his lead over defending champion Jonas Vingegaard, bringing him closer to achieving a historic Giro-Tour double. With only two challenging stages left, Pogacar, the champion of the 2020 and 2021 Tours, now leads Vingegaard by 5 minutes and 3 seconds, while Remco Evenepoel stays in third place at 7 minutes and 1 second. Pogacar is also just two stages away from becoming the first rider in 26 years to win both the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France.
Pogacar, who had confidently promised to attack on the 'Queen' stage featuring daunting mountains, entered stage 19 with a 3-minute-11-second lead over Vingegaard and a 5-minute-11-second lead over Evenepoel in third. Belgian rider Evenepoel commented, 'He set a terrible pace, he was just stronger. I was hoping Vingegaard might wilt, but he did well.' Vingegaard's sports director, Grischa Niermann, acknowledged the inevitable, saying, 'Jonas did an amazing job again today. It's just that someone was stronger than him, and that's been the story of this Tour.'
A jubilant Pogacar, who resides in nearby Monaco, celebrated his victory with his girlfriend at the finish line. 'It helps that I live near here, I've trained here a lot and well, I also had good legs,' said Pogacar, who had raced sparingly this spring. 'Coming second in the Tour gave me a lot of motivation to get better. This is no chance thing that I'm here.' As he prepared for the next stages, Pogacar remained cautious yet more relaxed, noting, 'It's a big gap. Tomorrow I can enjoy the ride on my home roads where I train and just watch out that nothing happens.'
Pogacar's previous vulnerabilities have been at high altitudes and in hot weather, which cost him the last two Tour de France titles to Vingegaard. However, the 25-year-old enjoyed favorable conditions under overcast skies with temperatures dropping to 18.5 Celsius (65 Fahrenheit). The stage featured significant altitude challenges, including the fan-packed Col de la Bonette, a 23km climb with a 7 percent average gradient reaching 2,800m. Pogacar's stunning attack with 10km remaining left his rivals behind, securing his dominant position.
Matteo Jorgenson finished second on the stage at 21 seconds, while Simon Yates, who had led much of the way, fell to third at 40 seconds. Richard Carapaz was fourth at 1 minute and 11 seconds, and Evenepoel fifth with Vingegaard close behind. Carapaz took the lead in the polka dot climb points standings, having already won a stage and worn the overall leader's yellow jersey in Bologna, showcasing a strong campaign. Vingegaard, who won his titles by closely following and eventually outlasting the more aggressive Pogacar, appeared exhausted at the finish.
The final stages promise more mountainous challenges, including a 34km individual time trial from Monaco to Nice, which could further impact the standings. Eritrean star Biniam Girmay maintained his lead in the green sprint jersey ahead of Jasper Philipsen, with both having won three stages in this year's race, while Pogacar has claimed four.
