“Now we turn our attention to tomorrow” – Visma refocus on Tadej Pogacar after safely guiding Jonas Vingegaard through record-breaking Tour stage
CyclingWednesday, 15 July 2026 at 20:00
Team Visma | Lease a Bike guided Jonas Vingegaard safely through the fastest stage in Tour de France history before turning their attention back towards his 3:36 deficit to Tadej Pogacar.
Stage 11 came only 24 hours after Pogacar dropped the Dane in the Massif Central, won in Le Lioran and added another 44 seconds to his general classification advantage.
“Now we turn our attention to tomorrow,” sports director Marc Reef said in Visma’s official post-stage press release.
Visma surrounded Vingegaard throughout the 161.3 kilometres from Vichy to Nevers and kept its riders away from the bunch-sprint battle eventually won by Soren Waerenskjold.
Record speed keeps Vingegaard out of trouble
Rain had left the roads slippery during the opening phase, but flat terrain, a tailwind and a strong four-rider breakaway pushed the speed beyond 50km/h.
The peloton completed the stage at an average of approximately 50.9km/h, surpassing the previous Tour record established by Mario Cipollini’s Stage 4 victory in 1999. “The pace was incredibly high right from the start,” Reef said. “Because of that, there was actually very little nervousness in the peloton.”
Vingegaard remained close to his teammates while the sprinters’ teams controlled the advantage of Julian Alaphilippe, Nelson Oliveira, Anthon Charmig and Mathis Le Berre.
The final escapees were caught with six kilometres remaining, but Visma did not commit riders to the increasingly crowded fight for position on the narrow approach to Nevers. “Everyone came through the stage safely,” Reef said. “Jonas was always well positioned and surrounded by his teammates. In the finale, we didn’t get involved in the fight for the stage win.”
Visma reset after Pogacar’s Le Lioran blow
Pogacar had attacked on the Col du Pertus during Stage 10 and ridden away from Vingegaard before continuing alone towards victory in Le Lioran. Vingegaard performed much of the work in the chasing group but finished at its rear, conceding 44 seconds and seeing his deficit increase from 2:52 to 3:36.
Remco Evenepoel also used the finale to reduce his gap to Vingegaard. The Belgian remained third overall at 4:06 after Stage 11, only 30 seconds behind the Visma leader.
No further time was lost in Nevers. Vingegaard completed the stage alongside Pogacar and the other leading contenders, retaining second place with the top three unchanged after 11 stages.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- When Froome won 3 in a row and "only" came in 3rd in his 4th, he was similarly just a hint less than his usual self. Maybe Vingegaard did the Giro at a time when he still had the drive to do it. It sure feels like there's a good reason he needs time as a sane human being, away from the sport and with his family. It's similar to what Pogačar says after big wins, "first, recovery and some time away." I respect that mindset immensely.RidesHills15-07-2026
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