Pogacar wins in mountains, builds overall TdF gap

Two-time champion Tadej Pogacar surged ahead on the final climb to win the mountainous 14th stage of the Tour de France on Saturday and extend his overall lead to nearly two minutes.

The elite climbers’ duel between Pogacar and two-time defending champion Jonas Vingegaard finally came when Pogacar peeled away with about 3 miles left.

“I love racing on instinct,” Pogacar said. “Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but I love it that way.”

Pogacar caught up with and overtook his UAE Emirates teammate Adam Yates, while Vingegaard was initially dropped but showed good composure to limit the damage.

The Dane crossed the line 39 seconds behind Slovenian Pogacar, who completed the 199-mile trek in just over four hours.

“Let’s keep this positive energy so we can win more,” Pogacar said. “I was feeling really good today.”

Remco Evenepoel of Belgium was third and dropped to third overall behind Vingegaard.

“I stayed with him a little, but he rode faster and faster and I was dropped,” Evenepoel said. “The pace was very high.”

After about two hours, riders reached the first of the day’s two big “hors catégorie” (beyond category) climbs — a 12-mile grind up the Col du Tourmalet, one of the race’s most famed Pyrenean climbs.

The second HC climb to the finish at Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet was shorter at 7 miles but had a steeper gradient.

Irishman Ben Healy attacked first but was caught by Yates, who set up Pogacar for the 13th stage win of his Tour career.

“I must say a big thank you to the team today,” said Pogacar, who won his second Tour in 2021. “They were amazing, and this victory is for all my teammates.”

Time bonuses for the victory added four valuable seconds and extended Pogacar’s lead over Vingegaard to 1 minute, 57 seconds.

“It’s a good lead, but you never know,” Pogacar said. “There is a long way to go.”

Evenepoel was 2:22 behind Pogacar heading into another big mountain stage Sunday.

A group of 10 riders formed a breakaway in Saturday’s stage, moving four minutes ahead of the yellow jersey group approaching the Tourmalet ascent.

But with Nils Politt riding tempo for Pogacar’s team, the breakaway soon shredded to five riders, including Healy.

Approaching the final climb, Healy attacked, and the four others could not follow.

Healy had a chance to win his first Tour stage and a second in major races after a stage win at the Giro d’Italia last year. But those hopes ended when Yates, followed by Pogacar, overtook him.

Their attack seemed to surprise Vingegaard, who beat Pogacar to win Stage 11 on Wednesday, and it looked as if he would lose significantly more time. But a strong response from the Team Jumbo Visma rider helped him stay within one minute of Pogacar.

Eritrean cyclist Biniam Girmay, who has won three stages, retained the best sprinter’s green jersey.

Ineos Grenadiers’ Tom Pidcock did not line up for the stage after experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, but 2018 winner Geraint Thomas, who also tested positive for the coronavirus, opted to race but was soon dropped by the yellow jersey group.

Sunday’s 15th stage — which falls on Bastille Day, France’s national day — features four big climbs before an even harder grind up to Plateau de Beille.

Monday is the second rest day of the three-week race, which this year finishes in Nice rather than Paris because of the Olympic Games.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.