Tour de France: ‘Best time trial ever’ – Tom Dumoulin hails Jonas Vingegaard after stunning Stage 16 win

Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) finished 1’38” clear of two-time champion Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) on the lumpy 22.4km course – and nearly three minutes clear of third-placed Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma).

The 26-year-old admitted he did not believe his own power data at points during the ride, such was his staggering output, with Dumoulin leading the plaudits for his former team-mate.

“But no one could have imagined that it would be a hammer blow of more than a minute and a half. Not even Vingegaard. Also Pogacar no. Everyone was amazed.

“We witnessed the best time trial ever in cycling. First of all because of the lead that Vingegaard takes over the rest. But I also watched his descent and his flat parts and that was real time trial porn. It was fantastic to see.

“He took a lot of time uphill, his power must have been incredibly high. But also his descents and his cornering, it was just sublime.”

Vingegaard carried a 1’48” lead over Pogacar in the general classification into Wednesday’s tough mountain test, featuring gradients of 24% in the finale.

Eurosport expert Adam Blythe compared Vingegaard to a “little slippery fish” after he romped to his stunning time trial win.

Speaking on the ground ahead of Stage 17, Blythe highlighted the small details that saw the Dane blow away the competition.

“If you look at Jonas on his bike, how aero he is, he’s like a little slippery fish through the water,” said Blythe.

“His CdA [coefficient of aerodynamic drag] – how fast he can push through the wind, how aero he is – is one of the best in the peloton. That showed yesterday.

“If you look at the small details, out of every corner, every downhill, he was on the pedals, pedalling as hard as he can through the corners.

“If you look at that compared to Pogacar, who was freewheeling on the downhill, trying to get aero and save energy.”