Tadej Pogacar couldn’t contain himself on stage 17 of the Tour de France. While the GC favourites seemed content to save energy for another stage, Maillot-Jon surprised everyone with a brutal attack on the penultimate climb.
Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel managed to keep up with the UAE Team Emirates leader, with Evenepoel gaining 10 seconds at the finish line, but Jonas Vingegaard didn't have the same back and finished the stage two seconds behind Mayotte-Jon.
It looked like a 120km junior race.
“There was only one day left, and it was really good,” said Pogacar on stage in his post-race interview. “It was a very fast stage, and it felt like a 120km junior race!
“It ended up being a very tough day, one of those days where you spend a lot of energy. Visma-Lease a Bike had a great race today, they were very aggressive.”
“Sometimes I don't even know why I attack.”
Regarding his attack and the spontaneous nature of the move, even Pogacar seemed surprised. “Sometimes I don’t know why I attack, I don’t even know anymore,” the Slovenian said with a laugh.
“I think I was enjoying the climb because it was so steep and so beautiful, and I felt like attacking to test my legs this third week and see if I could get a gap or something.”
“In the end, it was Remco who made a very good attack and managed to open up a gap. Without the Visma guys, he would have given me and Jonas more time.
Check out arrivals from Evenepoel, Pogacar and Vingegaard.
Watch the full interview
Melody Gross is a contributor at Brytfmonline.com, covering a wide range of topics including news, politics, business, technology, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is committed to delivering clear, accurate, and reader-focused reporting that helps audiences stay informed about current events and important developments. With a focus on useful information and balanced storytelling, Melody aims to present timely stories and relevant insights in a way that is accessible, engaging, and easy to understand.