‘Primoz Roglic was the bait… and Tadej Pogacar took it’ – Jumbo-Visma masterplan lauded at Tour de France

Jumbo-Visma proved Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) “is human” during a dramatic day in the Alps that ended with the yellow jersey changing hands at the 2022 Tour de France.

The Dane and team-mate Primoz Roglic had taken it in turns to burst clear in a frenetic spell on the kinder slopes of the Col du Galibier with nearly 60km remaining. The result was Pogacar having to chase down each attack, with Roglic or Vingegaard simply sitting in his slipstream while their team-mate inflicted damage.

Although Pogacar had looked equal to each move, and even went on the offensive himself in a risky show of strength, he had no answer when Vingegaard sailed clear later on the Col du Granon.

McEwen said Jumbo’s decision to launch their twin offensive on the flatter section of the Galibier – where slipstream would ensure Roglic and Vingegaard would only have to make one effort each for every two Pogacar made – was a masterstroke.

“The thing with those attacks on that flatter part before the Galibier really started properly… Pogacar had to chase, and instead of being on an uphill where nobody’s really got an advantage sitting on a wheel, on that flatter part Roglic was in the wheel behind Pogacar, then Vingegaard was in the wheel getting a slipstream,” said McEwen.

Questions will be raised about why Pogacar elected to chase down both Vingegaard and Roglic, despite the latter coming into the stage 13th in the general classification – 2’52” down on the yellow jersey.

“At the end when we work backwards, hindsight is such a terrible thing, Roglic was the bait – and Pogacar took it,” said McEwen.

He added on Pogacar: “Put simply: he blew. He’s human.”

Vingegaard leads the GC by 2’16” from Romain Bardet (DSM), with Pogacar a further six seconds back in third. Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers), part of the four-strong move that lit up the race early on, is fourth at 2’26” after also distancing Pogacar on the final climb.

“It was the first ever true capitulation of Tadej Pogacar. I don’t think anybody expected that,” said Eurosport pundit Matt Stephens.

“The one thing that impressed me the most is the way that Jumbo-Visma took this race by the scruff of the neck and willing to lose it.

“Attacking so far out I think potentially tipped Pogacar over the edge. And the way Vingegaard took it up was nothing short of sensational. Tactically very astute and very bold.”

Should his legs recover, he will have an immediate chance to regain the time lost as the peloton heads to the iconic Alpe d’Huez on Thursday’s Stage 12.

“It does set up an incredibly tantalising final part of the race,” said Dan Lloyd.

“The one thing you would say is Jumbo-Visma are the strongest team here, so trying to get rid of the yellow jersey, Jonas Vingegaard, at this point with the team that Pogacar’s got left is going to be very hard indeed.

“But that said, he’s won the Tour twice, he’s not going to sit back and settle for third or second. At some point, and it could be tomorrow, he’s going to try everything he can to put that team and Jonas Vingegaard in serious trouble.”

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