🇫🇷 #TDF2023 All smiles before the start. 😁
Jonas Vingegaard has dealt quite the blow yesterday in the first mountain stage at the Tour de France, after smelling blood he may want to attack Tadej Pogacar once again today into Cauterets. At the start line he was enigmatic over today's ambitions.
“I'm very happy with how it went yesterday. I had excellent legs, but today is another day. It will certainly be a very tough stage and it is very difficult to predict how the day will go," the Dane told CyclingPro.net. "Yes, I'm a bit surprised by the fact that I detached Pogacar, I thought he would follow me. Of course, having gained a minute on him is a very good thing in terms of future."
Although he lost time - and GC spot - to Jai Hindley, he put on an incredibly strong performance on the Col de Marie Blanque, distancing the rest of the competition including Tadej Pogacar, and then expanding the gap in the final downhill and flat kilometers. 1:04 minutes was his gain at the end of the day, which has placed him in second in the overall classification, behind only Hindley. "Hindley? We have to keep an eye on him, just as we have to do with all the riders aiming for the general classification."
Today's stage into Cauterets is another day of high mountain riding, with the Col du Tourmalet to be ridden too before the final long ascent. Lots of fireworks can happen if there is the intention, and after sensing a weakness the Dane may want to attack and take advantage of the current situation. "We will try to take away the Yellow Jersey. Already today? We will see," he concluded.
🇫🇷 #TDF2023 All smiles before the start. 😁