Pogačar Stands Firm in Yellow on Tour de France Mountain Finale
On the final day in the mountains at this year’s Tour de France, Tadej Pogačar showed unwavering resolve in his defence of the Yellow Jersey. Finishing third at La Plagne, the Slovenian set a relentless pace at the front of the favourites’ group, ensuring no one could launch a serious attack against him on the last climb.
Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) attempted to seize the initiative, sprinting past Pogačar for second at the finish, but the UAE Team Emirates-XRG leader remained untroubled. The day’s honours went to Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers), who claimed a well-deserved victory after launching a daring attack from the general classification (GC) group. The Dutch cyclist thus became the only rider to claim a stage win in both the Pyrenees and the Alps at this year’s race.
Choosing a defensive approach, Pogačar set a controlled tempo up the final ascent to La Plagne. He allowed Arensman the freedom to pursue the stage win, prioritizing the preservation of his overall lead—which remains well above four minutes—over chasing individual glory. With only two stages remaining, the world champion is now within touching distance of a fourth Tour de France title.
Despite his comfortable buffer, Pogačar remains vigilant. Speaking after the stage (Tadej Pogačar):
“We did a very good job until the last climb, and then some teams and riders think they can sprint the 19km of the climb. The pace was incredibly high at the start and then I was thinking that maybe Jonas Vingegaard would want to win the stage also. But in the end, he was just holding on to my wheel.”
With the Yellow Jersey secure for now, all eyes turn to the concluding stages as Pogačar seeks to cement his place in cycling history.
Team V.4-EM-UAE
