"Pogacar always wants to race, I don't get that with Vingegaard" - Serge Pauwels evaluates stage 20 duel

Tadej Pogacar bounced back in style on stage 20 of the 2023 Tour de France, taking the stage win to sweeten ever so slightly the blow of missing out on the Maillot Jaune. Jonas Vingegaard was third on the day and Sporza analyst Serge Pauwels has questioned the Jumbo-Visma leader's tactics on the penultimate stage.

“What did Vingegaard have to lose on the penultimate day? He no longer had to save himself for Paris," Pauwels questions. "He could actually have given a lot of shine to his Tour victory by continuing with Pogacar and sprinting man against man again. Or maybe even giving Pogacar the victory as a gift. Then we would have seen some battle, that could have been the highlight of this Tour."

With over seven minutes lead in the general classification, the Maillot Jaune has been sealed for a few days, something Pauwels had expected to free up Vingegaard. "Why does it always have to be calculated like this? I saw Vingegaard looking back at Pogacar a thousand times. Even 5 km from the finish he was still looking to see if Pogacar was not going to attack. Why is he so afraid of Pogacar? He is 7 minutes behind."

“In the end, Pogacar also wins now, Vingegaard is third. If they had continued with the two of them, no one could have followed them on the Platzerwasel and then we could have seen a nice sprint between the two," he continues. I think that's a pity. Pogacar is completely different in that. He always wants to race if he can. I don't get that with Vingegaard. Even though he is deservedly the winner of the Tour and Jumbo-Visma is deservedly the best team.”