Tadej Pogacar wins atop Planches des Belles Filles and consolidates Tour de France lead

The Tour de France came to it's first mountain today, as the climbers battled up the Planche des Belles Filles for small gaps, and Tadej Pogacar took his second consecutive win alongside extending his lead in the race.

It was another day where the flat start didn't help a breakaway form, however with many riders looking to make it into the move. It was a furious first hour, eventually with 10 riders going up the road: Mads Pedersen, Giulio Ciccone, Simon Geschke, Cyril Barthe, Imanol Erviti, Luke Durbridge, Dylan Teuns, Lennard Kämna, Max Schachmann and Kasper Asgreen.

UAE Team Emirates never let the gap grow much over three minutes. The yellow jersey's team had clear intent on controlling the escapee group, working alone throughout the day to keep the group stabilized. Attacks up front started with 70 kilometers to go as the hilly part of the stage started, eventually with the group thinned down to only seven riders. The group slowly split towards the final ascent, as the peloton started the fight for positioning.

Geschke attacked in the first ramps of the climb, soon chased by Lennard Kämna who became solo race leader with five kilometers to go. The German looked set for the win, it was only in the very last meters of the stage that the duo of Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard came through.

UAE set the pace throughout the whole climb, with the yellow jersey taking up the pace in the entrance of the gravel sector. Vingegaard launched his sprint first, initially distancing Pogacar, however a mistimed move as Pogacar came through once again in the final meters to take the stage win. Pogacar extended his lead, with Vingegaard finishing second and Primoz Roglic finishing third 12 seconds down.

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