"Jonas Vingegaard, this is the moment. You have to go for it now" - Visma leader urged to attack crash-effected Tadej Pogacar on Hautacam

Through the first 11 stages of the 2025 Tour de France, there has been plenty of drama. On stage 12 this Thursday afternoon however, that drama is set to ramp up both literally and figuratively as the peloton takes on a huge summit finish atop Hautacam. For Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, this could give the clearest sign yet, who will win the Maillot Jaune.

"I’m convinced this has been the plan all along. Pogacar is meant to crest the summit of Hautacam first — with no one on his wheel. I don’t doubt it for a second. And I’m sorry, Denmark — but unless that crash has left its mark, I fear that’s exactly what’s going to happen," previews 1996 Tour de France winner Bjarne Riis for BT.dk. "That said, Jonas, this is the moment. You have to go for it now. There’s no turning back. Today is the day you have to convince me."

"If Jonas can stay with Pogacar all the way to the summit of Hautacam, then he has a real shot at winning the Tour. But if he can’t — and I think it will be a struggle — then things start to look very difficult," Riis adds. "It won’t be easy. Hautacam is a brutal climb, and I speak from experience. You can crack several times before reaching the top. Trust me."

As touched upon by Riis, Pogacar did crash on stage 11, and whilst UAE have been quick to play down the severity of any injuries, we won't truly know for sure until the high mountains arrive.

"I’m not saying Jonas has to drop Pogacar — but he must be able to follow him. If Pogacar can’t shake him, Jonas has a genuine chance of winning the Tour. He just needs to prove it. And then things could really open up in the third week," Riis says. "But again — it could also be that Pogacar isn’t at his best after Wednesday’s crash. If he wants to drop Jonas, he’ll need to be strong. That’s the point. This is the battle we’re going to witness. It will be decisive. Everything else is a sideshow."

"I honestly believe Tadej Pogacar was looking forward to putting Visma in their place. But maybe now he’s hurting, feeling the effects of that crash. Will it change his strategy for today’s stage? I don’t know," continues the Dane. "Jonas and Visma, I think, will test him. They’re surely hoping he’s a bit banged up — and that’s fair enough. That’s how the game works. Visma have to go out and push him. It’s just the way it is. My guess is that Vingegaard’s team will try to get someone in the early break. But to be honest, I’m not sure it’ll matter. Because when Jonas and Pogacar hit that final climb, no one else will be able to follow. When those two go, they go all the way to the moon."

"I worry that Pogacar is so strong he can just ride straight past them — and that Jonas won’t be able to hold his wheel when he attacks. That’s what I sense. That’s what I see coming. But for Jonas’ sake, I hope I’m wrong. If he beats Pogacar, massive respect. Because then he’s bloody brilliant," concludes Riis. "From my perspective, Visma’s top priority should be to apply pressure. See what Pogacar’s team is made of — whether they can be thinned out. Then they can go after Pogacar himself, see how he’s holding up post-crash. My guess is they’ll try to make things hard on the Col du Soulor — ramp up the intensity of the race and the stage."