"Pogacar is as good as he was at the Giro" - Philippa York analyses Galibier clash at Tour de France

The fourth stage of the Tour de France saw the first big gaps open and the race is fully on. It has been a thrilling start to the Grand Boucle and as the race crossed the border into France, the climbers were once again taken to the limit, with Tadej Pogacar coming out on top with a masterful performance both up and downhill into Valloire.

"In any case, Tadej Pogačar seized his chance after an epic demonstration from his team of how to ride a short mountain stage when you have the strongest rider in the race," Philippa York said in an analysis for Cyclingnews. "Again, only Vingegaard had the capacity to react and, though he couldn’t quite reach his rival’s slipstream, it does at least show he is at a level not far from his best. A remarkable recovery when you realize a few months ago he was very badly injured and that this is his first race since April."

However this is the Tour, and the Grand Tour victory is now on the line. Whilst uphill there were not majour differences, the Slovenian created a gap in what is traditionally terrain where Vingegaard rides stronger - the high altitude. Pogacar thrived on the ascent to the Galibier and dealt an important hit (both in time and psychological) on his rival. "In the space of that last 500 metres of the Galibier, I think we saw the current state of play for everyone in that front group."

"Pogacar is as good as he was at the Giro. Evenepoel and Vingegaard are similar though their climbing characteristics differ. And then you have Carlos Rodriguez and Juan Ayuso, with Roglič dangling on the back," she adds.

On the Almeida-Ayuso incident, York didn't have any conclusions to take from the gesture, as was said too by UAE Team Emirates: "I didn’t read too much into Almeida calling Ayuso up to the front in the last kilometres of the Galibier. It was more likely that Ayuso simply was pinned in position while the Portuguese rider powered away when Yates had done his work. Nobody who found themselves in the gutter at that point looked really comfortable."