"They've taken a bit of a beating” – Sergeant explains strange day for Visma at the Tour de France

Marc Sergeant offered a sharp assessment of the contenders’ performances in stage 5’s time trial, the only flat test against the clock in this year’s Tour. It was a day where some riders delivered above expectations, and others fell short. According to Sereant, for Tadej Pogacar, the 33-kilometer course in Caen marked a significant statement.

"Considering the course, this might have been Pogacar's best time trial ever," Sergeant told Het Nieuwsblad. "And that's surprising after the doubts that arose after his poor time trial in the Dauphiné. His position had changed; he wanted to return to his old position. I think he always knew what position he wanted."

The Slovenian's performance did more than just silence concerns, it added over a minute to his advantage over Jonas Vingegaard, who, like his team, endured a difficult day on the time trial bike. Matteo Jorgenson, Visma’s wildcard, also struggled and lost time.

Team Visma | Lease a Bike had entered the Tour with the sole aim of regaining Vingegaad’s Tour de France title, and winning the yellow jersey for the third time. Signs had look positive in the opening stages, as Vingegaard was frequently close to Pogacar on punchy stages that don’t usually suit him. Perhaps, however, those efforts cost the Dane during yesterday’s stag.

Sergeant noted that Visma made a concerted effort to prepare. "They did everything they could. Affini set a sharp target time, and Van Aert even rode his time trial with a microphone so he could communicate with the team car, which is highly unusual in a time trial."

Yet for all the planning, the results didn’t follow. "As a lightweight, Vingegaard was clearly at a disadvantage, but that also applies to Pogacar. I had the impression that Vingegaard panicked a bit when he heard the first split times."

The Dane slipped to fourth in the general classification, behind Kevin Vauquelin, and now faces the challenge of making up time not only on Pogacar, but also on Remco Evenepoel, who won the stage in dominant fashion.

"They've taken a bit of a beating, now it's up to them to attack and try to take control of the game," Sergeant said. "Vingegaard will have to race aggressively, which will enhance the spectacle. And we, the spectators, can only enjoy that. But it's also possible he's taken a serious beating today. Because he has to catch up not only to Pogacar but also to Evenepoel."