"We always expect an aggressive Tadej Pogacar" - Wout van Aert unsurprised by continued attacks of Maillot Jaune at 2024 Tour de France

Over three minutes clear in the general classification and on a relatively calm day for the Maillot Jaune hopefuls, Tadej Pogacar couldn't help himself but spark the GC fight into life on stage 14 of the 2024 Tour de France, attacking again on the penultimate climb.

Arguably the main issue for Pogacar's main rival, Jonas Vingegaard, was the fact that he was isolated. The likes of Tiesj Benoot, Christophe Laporte and Wout van Aert were all part of the day's breakaway and as such, the Team Visma | Lease a Bike leader was all alone when Pogacar attacked. Thankfully for the Dane however, on the descent, first Laporte, then van Aert and Benoot dropped back and eventually helped their leader limit the damage.

"We wanted to go for the stage win, with me and Tiesj," van Aert told the assembled media afterwards. "It was just difficult to create a breakaway, with so much interest. We tried to protect Tiesj's move, but in the end a large group was formed and there were many good climbers in it. Christophe and I tried there, but it didn't work for the stage win."

As such, the duo were called to action to help pace their leader back to Pogacar and then Evenepoel in a thrilling finale to the stage. "I didn't see the attack, because I was in front, but we always expect an aggressive Pogacar," van Aert concludes. "We are always ready for that, although I have to talk to Jonas to ask what happened. Now that Christophe, Tiesj and I were still in front, we could give him a hand in the final."

In the end, Vingegaard lost 12 seconds to Remco Evenepoel and just 2 seconds to Pogacar. With four stages still to go, there is still much to play for in the fight for the top 3 positions.