Tadej Pogacar will be ‘devastated’ after time trial shock – but Tour de France ‘not over’

Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) will be “gutted” and “devastated” after being outclassed by Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) on the Stage 16 individual time trial, says Eurosport expert Adam Blythe.

Although little separated the great rivals across the opening two weeks, as each show of strength was followed up with moments of fragility, Vingegaard’s statement win now leaves him as the overwhelming favourite with five stages remaining.

Blythe is backing Pogacar to throw everything at overturning the deficit and urged the two-time champion to attack early on the penultimate mountain test on Wednesday.

“He’s got to come out all guns blazing,” said Blythe after the stage.

“First of all, try and get a stage win. Get that morale back up. We know he’s explosive, we know he can go on the attack late on in the climb so I think Jonas will be expecting that.

“I think the unexpected would be Tadej going early on the climbs, really putting the hurt in and trying to test him early on. I’m not saying one big attack to take loads of time, I’m talking attack, recover, attack, recover – really try and wear Jonas down.

“But I think first of all he needs to just recover from today because he is going to be gutted and devastated after today’s result.”

Over on The Breakaway, Robbie McEwen and Dan Lloyd insisted the battle for yellow was not over with two more days in the mountains – Wednesday’s Stage 17 and Saturday’s Stage 20 – still on the menu.

“Pogacar has won this race twice. He’s not going to settle for second place without a fight,” began Lloyd.

“This time 12 months ago, the time gap between Pogacar and Vingegaard was bigger than it is at the end of today’s stage. And we saw how much fight Pogacar put into it through to the end last year.

“He’ll do exactly the same tomorrow, if it doesn’t work tomorrow he’ll do exactly the same on Stage 20 on the last mountain day. So this race is not over but it’s certainly looking in favour of Jonas Vingegaard.”

Wednesday’s run from Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc to Courchevel features three categoried climbs before a hors categorie – literally meaning “beyond classification” – ascent of Col de la Loze.

“Look at tomorrow’s stage, another alpine stage over the highest point in this Tour, 2300m above sea level,” said McEwen.

“That is a stage where things could completely explode on the slopes of the Col de la Loze. And they did the last time the race went up there.

“It’s definitely advantage Jonas Vingegaard but with that mountain stage to come, and a tricky stage in the Vosges mountains towards the end of the race, this is not over.”