O'Connor takes Tour stage as Vingegaard's plans to unseat Pogacar fizzle out
The Australian rider, eyes blazing with determination, launched a ferocious solo attack on the fearsome Col de la Loze and never looked back, thundering towards his second career Tour stage win, following his triumph in Tignes in 2021.
"I felt much better today just from the start. I was pretty active, and I think probably the point where you realise you could have a shot was the top of the (Col de la) Madeleine when Jonas and Pogi came across, and we're still with them over the top of the summit," said O'Connor.
Pogacar defended his crown with ice-cold precision, gaining 11 more seconds on Vingegaard and stretching his overall advantage to a commanding 4 minutes 26 seconds after taking second place.
"Today was brutal. Maybe the hardest stage I've ever done in the Tour," admitted a drained Vingegaard after the finish.
"We had a big plan, you saw it, but I couldn't take a second on Tadej. The Tour isn't over, still."
Visma-Lease a Bike had come to the Alps with an all-in strategy for a stage lined with three monstrous climbs. But what could have been a bold masterstroke unravelled spectacularly.
On the slopes of the 19.2 km Col de la Madeleine, Sepp Kuss's searing acceleration left the top contenders chasing shadows.
PUZZLING
With Matteo Jorgenson already up the road in a breakaway, Vingegaard launched his move 5 km from the summit, but Pogacar followed him with ease.
Then came the puzzling twist.
After a blistering descent, Vingegaard, who had said he was ready to risk his second place to try to win the Tour, suddenly eased up on the valley floor, inviting rivals to regroup and stripping his team's earlier aggression of any sting.
Jorgenson, once the sacrificial pawn, dropped from the break and rejoined the group, only to be spat out again almost instantly.
Up ahead, O'Connor sensed blood and struck with ruthless precision, leaving Einer Rubio gasping for air and balance with a savage attack 16 km from the line on the lung-busting 26.4-km Col de la Loze, soaring to 2,304 metres above sea level.
Rubio cracked in his wake, and the general classification favourites' hesitation sealed the Australian's day of glory.
Behind him, Visma-Lease a Bike flogged the pace but barely clawed back a second. Then, inside the final 2 km, Vingegaard made one last desperate thrust. Pogacar, seated and serene, absorbed it before unleashing a devastating counterpunch in the last 500 metres.
In a blur of power, the Slovenian dropped Vingegaard, streaked past Rubio, and snatched a six-second bonus as he continued his march towards a fourth Tour title.
German Florian Lipowitz kept his third place despite finishing behind Oscar Onley after his attempt to go solo in the final climb backfired.
He still leads the British rider by 22 seconds going into the last mountain stage between Albertville and La Plagne. --REUTERS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
4 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Piastri turns personal disappointment into motivation to win at Spa
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS: Oscar Piastri said he turned his personal disappointment into motivation to succeed on Sunday after he produced an impressive drive to his sixth victory of the season in the rain-delayed Belgian Grand Prix. The 24-year-old Australian was disappointed with himself on Saturday when he was beaten by title rival and McLaren team-mate Lando Norris in qualifying for Sunday's race, but he turned the tables with a masterly lap one passing move after a rolling start on a damp track. He then hung on and, after pitting to switch from intermediates to slicks, he managed his medium compound tyres perfectly to stay ahead of Norris, running on a more durable hard tyre, in the closing stages to win and extend his lead in the title race to 16 points. "I knew lap one was going to be probably my best chance of winning the race," said Piastri. "I got a good exit out of Turn One and then lifted a little as I dipped through Eau Rouge and it was enough. "The rest of the race we managed really well. I was struggling a bit at the end – so maybe the medium wasn't the best for the last five or six laps, but we had it mostly under control, which is what I wanted. "I was pretty disappointed with myself after yesterday, but it turns out starting second in Spa isn't too bad after all!" He added that he was concerned that the rolling start, after four laps behind the Safety Car, would reduce his chance to grab the initiative, but showed he was sharp and focussed by taking advantage of Norris at the first opportunity. "I got a good exit out of Turn One and was able to stay close and then, when I was going close, I just knew I was going to lift a little bit less than Lando (Norris) did and try and keep it on the track. "It was a bit lively up over the hill, but I managed to make it stick and then, from there, the tow helped me out." He said he knew that tyre strategy was going to be critical and expected Norris's decision to take hard tyres - the only driver to do so when all the rest went for mediums. "I had the same plan, if I was going to be second, so I kind of knew that was going to be a likely decision for Lando. For me, medium was the safest tyre to be on at that point. "You never know if someone is going to crash and there's a Safety Car and you want a medium for the restart. Also, the medium seemed pretty good in the sprint yesterday so I think it didn't make too much difference. "But when you're fighting like that, one-two, you're always going to try and get an advantage in one way or another." Norris admitted he had not done enough to win the race as he slipped 16 points behind Piastri in the championship after 13 of the 24 races. "He had a better start and he deserved it today," said Norris, who made three mistakes in the difficult conditions. "It's should-a, would-a, could-a.... Oscar deserved it. I'm sure he would have made a couple of mistakes too and I'll review my own. It's a great result for the team our first 1-2 here in many years." It was McLaren's first Belgian triumph since Jenson Button won from pole in 2012.--AFP
New Straits Times
4 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Pogacar wary of burnout despite Tour triumph, shuns talk of chasing Merckx
PARIS: Although Tadej Pogacar appears on the verge of emulating cycling great Eddy Merckx, the Slovenian says he is in no rush to chase history, warning that the risk of burnout looms large in one of the most mentally and physically demanding sports. The 26-year-old sealed his fourth Tour de France title on Sunday after three weeks of dominance, but admitted fatigue crept in during the final days. "We were comfortably in the yellow, but yeah, I was a bit tired in the last week, to be honest," Pogacar told a press conference, adding that for now he wanted to enjoy the moment in Paris rather than dissect mistakes. While his achievements have already placed him among the all-time greats, Pogacar said cycling's relentless calendar and obsession with training create a dangerous cycle that can leave riders mentally and physically drained. "Burnouts happen in sports, in a lot of sports, mental burnout, physical burnout. We train a lot. Cyclists are sometimes too obsessed with training, and everybody wants to train more and more and more," he explained. The world champion warned that overtraining combined with constant racing demands can trap riders in a cycle of fatigue that rarely allows time for recovery. "You see some riders have fatigue too early in the season and then the team needs you to race, race, race. In the end, you just keep going into this circle and you never recover," the UAE Emirates-XRG rider said. "Then you come to October and you're like, finally a break. And then in December, you're trying to do it all over again." For Pogacar, that risk is why he refuses to set lofty targets such as joining Merckx and Miguel Indurain with five Tour titles. "Obviously it's not the goal to win five tours. Right now, I have no clear goals. Maybe the world championships this year and (the Tour of) Lombardy, but for now I just enjoy the moment and will think about the next goals quite soon," he said. Pogacar also credited rival Jonas Vingegaard for pushing him to higher levels, calling their five-year duel a privilege. "We just push each other to the next level," he said. It is the first time that two riders finish first and second in five consecutive Tours, Vingegaard having beaten Pogacar in 2022 and 2023 while the Slovenian edged his rival out this year, in 2021 and 2024. After three gruelling weeks, Pogacar savoured the relaxed final stage in Paris.
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Oscar Piastri turns disappointment into Belgian GP victory
OSCAR PIASTRI transformed his personal frustration into a triumphant performance at the Belgian Grand Prix, securing his sixth win of the season. The 24-year-old Australian, disappointed after losing to McLaren teammate Lando Norris in qualifying, executed a decisive overtake on the opening lap following a rolling start on a damp track. Piastri maintained his lead after switching from intermediate to slick tyres, expertly managing his medium compounds to fend off Norris, who opted for hard tyres in the closing stages. 'I knew lap one was going to be probably my best chance of winning the race,' Piastri said. 'I got a good exit out of Turn One and then lifted a little as I dipped through Eau Rouge and it was enough.' The victory extended Piastri's championship lead to 16 points over Norris, who acknowledged his rival's superior drive. 'He had a better start and he deserved it today,' Norris admitted. 'It's should-a, would-a, could-a... Oscar deserved it.' Piastri also reflected on the strategic tyre choice, noting that medium compounds provided a safety net against potential safety car interruptions. 'For me, medium was the safest tyre to be on at that point,' he said. The win marked McLaren's first Belgian GP triumph since Jenson Button's 2012 victory - AFP
