In the short Pyrenean stage, which also included the Col du Tourmalet, an early breakaway was kept under control. Vingegaard was well surrounded by his three remaining teammates Sepp Kuss, Mike Teunissen and Wout van Aert. The battle for the day’s victory and the general classification erupted on the final climb. In the end the top three remained in the front. Vingegaard held on well, but had no answer to Pogacar’s splitting attack in the last few hundred metres.

Vingegaard was delighted that he managed to stay with the best. “I didn’t have my best day today. It was very hard and a mental battle. So you can imagine that I am very happy with my performance. The fact that I am second in the Tour de France after the last mountain stage is great. I started the Tour in service of Primoz, but I had not dared to dream this. I also have to thank the team. Sepp, Wout and Mike were amazing.”

“It is looking good now for the podium in Paris”, Vingegaard continued. “But we have seen before in this Tour that it can also go differently. So tomorrow we have to survive another stage and then go full steam ahead in the time trial.”

Wout van Aert was still with the favourites until five kilometres from the line. “Maybe I could have hung on a bit longer, but hanging on for the sake of hanging on doesn’t work either. I was able to do my job for Jonas and I think we did a great job as a team, despite all the setbacks. It’s a pity we didn’t win the stage with Jonas, but it’s beautiful what he’s showing here as a young rider. If you can finish like this without coming to the Tour as a leader, then there is definitely more in it for the future.”

“We still have a fight for second and third place”, sports director Grischa Niermann said. “The difference is barely a few seconds. But we have taken a step in the right direction. With this form, we are confident that Jonas can ride a good time trial and keep his position.”