Jonas Vingegaard remains composed after another time loss: "I feel more comfortable in the Alps than on the Puy de Dome"

For the second time in this Tour de France, Jonas Vingegaard found himself unable to match the acceleration of his formidable rival, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates). The Jumbo-Visma leader managed to stay out of trouble on the challenging slopes of the Puy de Dome for a significant portion of the climb, but Pogacar's final attack proved to be one too many. Nevertheless, Vingegaard's time loss was limited, with Pogacar crossing the finish line just eight seconds ahead of him.

"It would have been more enjoyable to gain time rather than lose time to Pogacar," Vingegaard expressed clearly in the interview with the Tour Organization after the stage. "However, as I mentioned earlier, I came to the Tour knowing that the first week may not be as favorable for me compared to what lies ahead. Therefore, to finish the first week of the Tour in the yellow jersey brings me satisfaction."

Thus, the climber holds a slightly narrower lead than at the beginning of Sunday's stage, which was won by Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech). "I felt quite good today, but Tadej was slightly stronger once again. Our goal today wasn't to go for the stage win, but if we hadn't controlled the race, the gap could have been 40 minutes, and we would have had to chase at some point," Vingegaard explained.

The first week of the Tour peloton has come to an end, featuring challenging stages in the Pyrenees and demanding finishes like the one on the Puy de Dome. "Racing up to the Puy de Dome was a grueling but enjoyable experience, and I'm excited for the Alps," Vingegaard expressed. Both Vingegaard and his team are aware that he performs better in the Alps than on the Puy de Dome, solidifying their confidence in his abilities.

But before that, the peloton will enjoy a well-deserved rest day. It is scheduled for the day following this stage, on Monday.