"Jonas fought all the way to the line" - Marc Reef defends Vingegaard's performance despite a blow out on Tourmalet
Cycling
Stage 6 of the Tour de France 2026 delivered one of the first major blows in the general classification. Tadej Pogacar showcased his strength in the high mountains and opened a gap of more than two minutes on Jonas Vingegaard, a heavy hit to the Visma | Lease a Bike leader’s ambitions. However, the Dutch team highlighted the Dane’s attitude and argued his performance was shaped by how the stage unfolded.
Marc Reef, Visma’s sports director, assessed his leader’s ride at the finish and acknowledged disappointment with the result, while stressing Vingegaard’s resilience in the face of the Slovenian’s attack.
"Today’s result is disappointing, but we saw a Jonas who fought all the way to the line and did everything he could to limit the gap to Pogacar," explained Reef. The sports director also underlined that the two-time Tour winner kept the chasing group at bay, avoiding even greater time losses.
The Dutch team’s initial plan did not go as expected. They tried to place a rider in the break to serve as support for Vingegaard in the decisive phase, especially after the Tourmalet. That move never materialised, and the team had to adapt to the race situation.
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The key moment came on the ascent of the iconic Pyrenean pass. When Pogacar attacked, Vingegaard chose not to respond immediately and rode his own pace. According to Reef, that decision allowed the Dane to keep the gap under control for several kilometres.
Second mountain day and Visma leave their leader isolated again
"Jonas managed to hold the gap at around ten seconds for quite some time," said the race director of the Dutch outfit. However, in the final section of the Tourmalet, roughly two kilometres from the summit, the Dane’s tempo dipped slightly and the UAE Team Emirates rider’s advantage began to grow.
🇫🇷 #TDF2026
— Team Visma | Lease a Bike (@vismaleaseabike) July 9, 2026
💭”Jonas fought all the way to the finish and did everything he could to limit the gap to Pogacar.” - Marc Reef
Read more in our race report! ✍️https://t.co/EGxLqObGF2 pic.twitter.com/38STw83Hxy
From that point, Vingegaard defended his position alone, trying to minimise losses both on the descent and on the final climb to Gavarnie-Gèdre. Though the effort wasn’t enough to prevent a significant deficit to Pogacar, Reef insisted the Danish champion’s attitude was positive.
"From there he fought all the way to the line, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to keep the gap smaller," concluded the Visma director, who is confident Vingegaard can find better legs as the race progresses.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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