Dropped by Pogaċar again, but Vingegaard is staying positive after stage 10: 'My legs are getting better and better'
CyclingTuesday, 14 July 2026 at 19:50
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Follow us on GoogleVisma | Lease a Bike had the tenth stage of the Tour de France under control for a long time, but in the end, the Dutch team let it slip away. Jonas Vingegaard not only lost time to an incredible Tadej Pogacar, but in an uphill sprint, he even had to let Remco Evenepoel, Paul Seixas, and Florian Lipowitz pass him. IDL Pro Cycling caught the Visma reactions.
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Vingegaard and Visma | Lease a Bike already knew what was going to happen before Stage 10. “You have to be there today; this stage is going to be important for the general classification,” predicted team director Marc Reef before the start, standing by the team bus. “The penultimate climb will be crucial—that’s where we need to be with Jonas. The climbs are a bit longer than in the first week, which suits him better.”
It was indeed on the Col de Pertus where it happened. On the 4.5-kilometer climb with an average gradient of just over 8 percent, Visma | Lease a Bike boldly put a rider at the front, and for a brief moment, the group led by Davide Piganzoli seemed to be thwarting an attack by Pogacar. That attack came anyway, however, and Vingegaard didn’t react for a moment.
"When he went, I knew I had to ride at my own pace. From there, I thought I’d have to ride a time trial all the way to the finish, but luckily I got some help on the final climb,” the Dane analyzed afterward. In fact, all the other competitors joined forces, but Pogacar was simply too strong. “It was an okay day for us; it could have been much worse,” Vingegaard said nonetheless.
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Vingegaard wants to look up the standings, but feels the heat
“My legs are getting better and better,” the Visma leader also said. He was actually quite positive. It was no surprise, then, that Juan Ayuso of Lidl-Trek praised Vingegaard’s efforts after the stage. Pogacar was simply even better, as was the explosively fast sprinter Remco Evenepoel. “I’m looking forward to the longer climbs. Hopefully we have some great weeks ahead of us.”
Reef saw the teamwork once Pogacar had broken away. But he also saw that Vingegaard still had to do most of the work in the chase during the final stretch. “We knew that could happen; we had to accept it. The others are fighting for the podium, and with Jonas—that’s cycling. Sometimes you use someone else’s energy to gain an advantage at the finish.”
"We're here to win the race. We've tried to do that, and we'll keep trying," Reef continued, just as he had said before the stage. “But we also have to be realistic; Tadej is the strongest right now. Congratulations to him and his team, but we don’t feel like we’re fighting a losing battle yet. Tadej was stronger twice, but the finish is in Paris.”
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Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- - Enric saying “limit the damage” feels right, but he can’t keep giving Pog 5–10 seconds every summit. Minor gripe: the article glosses over Gall’s watts—would’ve loved some data. Grande etapa, pero faltan números, no?lindae28-08-2026
- - Red Bull-BORA with Roglič a minute back—does that gap matter this early or is it normal to let Pogačar have a cushion before the high mountains/time trial? Also, is Stage 9 a proper queen stage or just media hype?cadencekingm28-08-2026
- - Quick question: why did Decathlon take it up if it helped Pog in the end? Wouldn’t it have been better to sit on UAE’s tempo and wait? I’m still figuring out how these team tactics work on summit finishes.julien28-08-2026
- - Not sure I buy Mas’ “frustrated” angle. Pogacar just rode the numbers when Gall opened the gap, then closed and added six seconds for free. If that’s irritation, I hope my GC leader gets angry like that every day.samanthak28-08-2026
- - Gall looked sharp today. That Decathlon CMA CGM pull on the last climb actually made sense tactically—force UAE to respond, then Felix goes. Pog’s counter was vintage: measure, then sting. Stage 9 is going to be carnage if he’s already this comfy.patriciaw28-08-2026
- - Slightly sceptical about the piece framing it as frustration. The quotes from Pogacar read like he was in control. Maybe we’re overreading the body language?tourdeforce928-08-2026
- - “We’re here to win the GC, not to mess around.” That line says it all. He saved UAE’s matches and still gained time. Efficient as ever.andrewf28-08-2026
- - Can someone explain why Decathlon was pacing for Gall if he couldn’t follow when Pog pushed on? Is that a normal tactic or did it backfire?gearguru3328-08-2026
- - Mas stirring the pot a bit there. Don’t think Pog was “angry,” more like opportunistic when the gap opened. That steady-pace surge is his trademark. GC contenders behind must be fuming.patriciaw28-08-2026
- - Loved how Pogacar downplayed the drama. Classic Tadej: calm, clinical, and straight to the point. If Decathlon want to light it up for Gall, he’ll just ride them off his wheel anyway.lindae28-08-2026
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