🎥 Van Aert pulls off action of the day with "mind game": "Wanted to show that we were in control of the race"

Jumbo-Visma grabbed the fourteenth stage by the handlebars and cranked up the tempo all day long. The Dutch team climbed one mountain after another with a strong tempo, with riders like Christophe Laporte leaving a great impression. Towards the finale, Vingegaard still had no less than six men supporting him, whereas Pogacar had a slightly smaller crew in tow.

On the final climb of the day - the Col de Joux Plane - the race reached its expected climax, starting with the domestiques of Vingegaard and Pogacar. After Jumbo-Visma had been in the lead for the entire stage, it was UAE's Rafal Majka who boldly took the lead, leaving many Jumbo riders behind. An impressive signal from the Pogacar team, but it didn't last very long...

The pace Majka had set did not remain high, allowing some men to make a comeback from behind. Among them was Van Aert, who wasted no time, swiftly passing the entire group in one go - and displacing Majka from the front. The Polish rider immediately fell back, while Van Aert put in one more strong effort.

After the race, Van Aert explained to NOS and Eurosport that it was all about "a mind game" with Majka. "I wanted to tackle the first part of the climb together with Wilco (Kelderman, red.) and keep the pace high. When Majka surged forward, I immediately knew it was a short burst to try and drop us. I had to let him go for a moment, but I got motivated when I heard that Majka eased off the pace. That's when I wanted to show that we were in control of the race today."

It's almost no longer a surprise that Van Aert was among the top climbers throughout all those mountain passes and even did a fair share of leading in the finale. He laughs, saying, "I had good legs. It was a tough stage, and we wanted to make it hard for everyone else. That always gives me extra motivation. When I set my mind on something, I can endure one day of suffering. It's not the first time I've shown this, so it's not a surprise to me. I wanted to go for it, and I'm happy with how we rode."