"I felt my legs were good, so I kept pushing until a gap opened" - Tadej Pogacar takes time on Jonas Vingegaard

Stage 9 with finish on mighty Puy de Dome wrote many stories. One of the most keenly followed was a new chapter in the duel between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard. The Slovenian came on top once again as he gains 8 seconds but more importantly carries a lot of confidence into coming weeks.

"It is not a victory... but a small one. I'm super happy today, it's a super nice day. I was quite relaxed until the last climb. I felt on my legs immediately that I was good. I waited for the last 1,5km to go, just in case. But yeah, I had a good day."

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"When I started my attack, I saw his shadow on the road and he was chasing me, trying to match my acceleration. I felt my legs were good, so I kept pushing until a gap opened... and, from them on, I just kept going. Cyclists, like every athlete, like to win on every race they take part in. It is a shame that the breakaway went away, yet in the group there were excellent riders who also deserved a victory like this one. Also, we learnt from last year that we shouldn’t chase victory in every stage."

"This climb is super nice, and would be nicer with more spectators. I was a bit scared because everyone was telling me it was super steep and super hard... but it actually felt as if we were flying up the road. I had my family here and I’m super happy to see them. Also, since today there is not a lot of people here, I can speak with them a bit more."

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"If Pogacar continues this line and collects every time, then it will be difficult for us" - Jumbo-Visma acknowledge difficulty but satisfied with first week