Tadej Pogačar is gaining more and more distance in the 2023 Tour de France. He secured his fourth stage victory in dazzling style on the legendary Hautacam summit finish. The Slovenian superstar not only claimed the victory today, but padded his overall lead over rival Jonas Vingegaard by a stunning 36 seconds. This victory now increases this climbing specialist’s overall lead to 4 minutes and 7 seconds. After this latest milestone, Pogačar is poised to be hailed champion for a stunning fourth consecutive time.
Pogačar’s superb effort saw him navigate the challenging 10.9 km uphill course in an impressive 23 minutes, a staggering two minutes faster than expected. One extra punch attaching to his record performance in the mountain time trial as he became the indisputable runaway leader of the competition. It’s a 21st Tour stage win for Pogačar! This victory certainly puts some extra icing on his amazing journey down this year’s Tour de France.
A Display of Brilliance
Any repeat of Pogačar’s long-form victory would again be chalked up to hard-nosed tactical racing, as well as the champion’s grit. As he climbed the Hautacam, he did it at a pace so brutal that his rivals couldn’t keep up even at the end of the stage. His never-give-up attitude glimmered as he dug deep through the end of the ascent. The timer count down visible at the top added to his motivation to get it right.
“I’m super happy. I wanted everything to be perfect. I almost blew up in the end, but I saw the timer at the top and it gave me an extra push because I saw I’m gonna win,” – AAP
His ability to do so better than World Tour proven riders such as Florian Lipowitz and Primož Roglič only highlights the unique talent he possesses. Pogačar’s blistering time of 23 minutes shattered both Lipowitz’s and Roglič’s times, proving Pogačar’s exceptional climbing prowess.
Rivals Struggle to Keep Pace
By comparison, their other competitors struggled to make it through the stage. Another medalist, Luke Plapp, opened up about his battle in the closing yards of the ascent. He agreed that overall, it was a great race. His experience mirrors the challenges suffered by anyone trying to stay ahead of those who are just trying to keep up with Pogačar’s blistering pace.
“The last minute, though, was painful, but all in all I enjoyed the race, nevertheless,” – Luke Plapp
Our other main competitor admitted their failed efforts in earlier rounds, which left them enough energy to climb this time. The competitive pressures of the Tour de France are understandably enormous, and even the best riders cannot keep up with Pogačar’s dominance.
“I’ve missed the break these last few stages, and that enabled me to take it easy in the grupetto. I’ll definitely be feeling today’s effort in my legs tomorrow … but anyway, I wanted to represent the colours (of the Australian flag) well and I’m happy,” – AAP
The Road Ahead
Tadej Pogačar is still crushing the field. Of course, all eyes will be on him as he makes his way toward the final stages of this year’s Tour de France. His performances thus far indicate that he’s not simply out there looking for one more win. He’s on a mission to leave the most significant impact on cycling history as possible.
With every new stage, Pogačar keeps making the [unscientific line-go-up] bar higher—not just for himself, but for his competitors. The excitement mounts for what should be a thrilling finale to an already spectacular Tour.
