"I think I can be happy" - Jonas Vingegaard narrowly misses stage win but challenges Pogacar at Planche des Belles Filles

Jumbo-Visma took a calmer day, saving resources and following the wheels of UAE Team Emirates on what was the first day of the mountains at the Tour de France, and Jonas Vingegaard gave the feedback that was expected of him at the first opportunity.

"It was definitely a brutal finish, but I think I can be happy. I tried in the end, but he just came with 20m to go, and I didn’t have an answer," the Danish climber said after the finish. It was a conservative climb with no-one willing to risk it, and Vingegaard was the rider that had the legs to spark a move inside the final few hundred meters as the gradients steepened severily.

"It was really close to the line, but I think I can be happy," he added after finishing second. Now Vingegaard sits second in the overall classification 35 seconds down on Pogacar, and has established himself as the main card for the Dutch team to play for. Primoz Roglic had a strong day too finishing third, giving Jumbo-Visma the opportunity to attack the mountains hard.

"I mean, hopefully I’m better on the longer climbs. At least that’s what I hope. The legs felt good so I’m happy," Vingegaard concluded. Up until this point he seems to be the only rider capable of matching the Slovenian, and will have better opportunities to take time in the coming weeks when the race reaches the high mountains.