Pogacar gives podium contenders a little hope: 'Isaac didn't feel 100% himself'

Tadej Pogacar won the 14th stage of the Tour de France with his characteristic dominance. His teammate Isaac Del Toro rounded out the celebration with a second-place finish. Can we expect a similar performance on Sunday? The yellow jersey wearer says that’s not so certain yet.

Pogacar let UAE Team Emirates-XRG lead the pack all day, then launched his signature surge in the final two kilometers of the Col du Haag. He left everyone in his wake and extended his lead after the summit. His margin over Del Toro was ultimately 38 seconds. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) now trails his rival by 4 minutes and 30 seconds.

The world champion thoroughly enjoyed the mountain stage in the Vosges, especially thanks to the French crowd. “Today I have to thank all the fans who were lining the road,” the stage winner exclaimed in the post-race flash interview. People were indeed packed thick along the roadside. “It was unforgettable to see all the spectators on the hills at the top of the mountain. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

It put Pogacar in a philosophical mood; for a moment, he seemed to take a mental step back and observe the situation in the Tour de France from a distance. “All the riders have so much respect for one another. We put on a great show—it’s wonderful to see races like this.”

Del Toro finished second, even though he’d struggled earlier on the climb. “I knew Isaac wasn’t feeling quite 100 percent, so I waited until the final kilometers to see if anything would happen. Decathlon, followed by Jonas, rode very hard up the climb. One by one, riders were dropped, but I felt good. I wanted to give it a shot in the final two kilometers—I know that stretch well. There were also so many people there that it really gives you a boost all the way to the top.”

So the Mexican wasn’t quite in top form. The fact that he still managed to finish second doesn’t bode well for his rivals in the final week, because even a subpar Del Toro secured a one-two finish for his team. “It was a perfect day,” Pogacar noted. “We had our sights set on this day from the start. I know this stage well—it’s a really beautiful one, and I have fond memories of it. As a team, we’ve got another one under our belt.”

Sunday will wrap up the second week with a finish on the Plateau de Solaison, an uphill finish. Perfect for Pogacar? Well, it’s not quite that simple, he says himself. “I don’t want to overanalyze it, but tomorrow will be a tough day for us. But we’ll be ready to fight and see what happens. There are a lot of options.”