Tour de France: Pogacar pounces again to deflate Vingegaard in Pyrenees

Tadej Pogacar took back-to-back wins in the Pyrenees, following up Saturday’s victory at Pla d’Adet with another summit success on stage 15 to Plateau de Beille.

Although the stage had seemed set to be another duel between the Slovenian and defending champion Jonas Vingegaard, Pogacar was just too powerful for the Dane.

This time there was no fightback from any of the Giro d’Italia champion’s rivals, with Remco Evenepoel, of Soudal Quick-Step, also shipping more time to the rampant Pogacar.

Vingegaard and Pogacar moved ahead of a dwindling group of overall contenders 11 kilometres from the finish. But with five kilometres left to race, Pogacar moved past his rival and again, just as he had 24 hours earlier, distanced him with another ruthless attack.

Tadej Pogacar makes the decisive break to distance Jonas Vingegaard on the final climb to Plateau de Beille. Photograph: Marco Bertorello/AFP/Getty Images

This was not another explosion of power, but a subtle change of pace, with Pogacar pouncing after Vingegaard had looked over his shoulder.

As the gap between them increased, Vingegaard looked increasingly laboured and ceded just over a minute, leaving him now more than three minutes adrift of the yellow jersey. A battling Evenepoel retained third overall, but is now well over five minutes behind the relentless Slovenian.

Jeremy Whittle’s full race report will follow later

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