![Jonas Vingegaard - Jonas Vingegaard is Tour de France champion in waiting after putting nail into Tadej Pogacar’s coffin](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/cycling/2023/07/19/TELEMMGLPICT000343177257_16897810568710_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqI87W6LOFo7j1auIA2bENyuuPZbz-xrpnaU16RAxcTe8.jpeg?imwidth=680)
Jonas Vingegaard is Tour de France champion in waiting after putting nail into Tadej Pogacar’s coffin
![Jonas Vingegaard - Jonas Vingegaard is Tour de France champion in waiting after putting nail into Tadej Pogacar’s coffin](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/cycling/2023/07/19/TELEMMGLPICT000343177257_16897810568710_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqI87W6LOFo7j1auIA2bENyuuPZbz-xrpnaU16RAxcTe8.jpeg?imwidth=680)
Tadej Pogacar conceded defeat to Jonas Vingegaard in the fight for yellow as Felix Gall beat Simon Yates to victory on stage 17 of the Tour de France in Courchevel.
While Gall and Yates fought out stage honours from the breakaway, the overall battle in this Tour was effectively decided on the mighty col de la Loze, the highest mountain of this year’s race, at the end of this 166km stage from Saint-Gervais.
Having shown cracks in Tuesday’s time trial, Pogacar crumbled on this punishing 28km climb, losing the wheels still with eight kilometres remaining to the summit as he watched his rivals ride away without even needing to attack, the time gaps ballooning before the finish.
“I’m gone,” Pogacar told his team on the radio as he watched his rival ride away. “I’m dead.”
The Slovenian, involved in a minor crash at the start of the stage, had trailed Vingegaard by just 10 seconds on Monday’s rest day.
When Vingegaard took 1min 38sec out of the two-time Tour winner in Tuesday’s time trial it looked massive, but a day later the gap on the road was almost six minutes, the difference overall now seven-and-a-half minutes.
While Pogacar crossed the line taking a consoling arm around the shoulder from team-mate Marc Soler, the usually reserved Vingegaard allowed himself a more vigorous celebration with his team. As long as the Dane makes it to Paris on Sunday, he will surely win his second consecutive Tour.
Pogacar’s form coming into the Tour had been an open question given his lack of racing since breaking his wrist in April. For two weeks he had kept the gap at the top tantalisingly close, but the third week has proven too much.
As soon as the 24-year-old radioed in his concession, his team-mate Adam Yates was told to ride on in order to protect his third place overall, and the Lancastrian put time into Carlos Rodriguez to solidify his podium spot, now 76 seconds up on the young Spaniard and three minutes behind Pogacar.
Up ahead, Gall had attacked from the remains of a 33-strong breakaway that had, for much of the day, been as big as what counted as the peloton. Simon Yates did his best to chase down the Austrian but could not quite bridge the gap and came in 30 seconds down.
It was a second runner-up finish of the Tour for Simon Yates, who was narrowly beaten by his twin brother Adam on the opening stage in Bilbao. His consolation prize this time was moving up from eighth to fifth overall.
Gall, making his Tour debut, delivered a first win of this year’s race for the Ag2r-Citroën team, having unexpectedly taken over the leadership role within the squad after Ben O’Connor’s overall ambitions faded in the first week.
“I don’t know what to say,” the 25-year-old said. “This whole year has been incredible and now to do so well in the Tour and to win the queen stage it’s incredible. I just want to say thank you to the team, they have given me so much.
“It’s not easy to do a three-week stage race and then to also have the role of leader after a few days, I slowly focused on that and I was stressing myself about that, it’s not easy but the last few days I’ve been more comfortable. I was afraid I would be caught in the last kilometre but it’s incredible.” PA
Tour de France, stage 17: As it happened. . .
Pogacar should keep his second spot . . .
. . . based on my calculations. But Jonas Vingegaard will lead by 7min 35sec. Ouch. Simon Yates (Jayco-Alula) will be moving up the overall standings, as will Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) and, of course, stage winner Felix Gall (Ag2r-Citroën).
Vingegaard rips Pogacar's hopes to shreds
Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) rolled over the line to take third place, with Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) fourth on the day. But the big story this afternoon is the decisive knockout blow Vingegaard delivered to the chin of Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) who in the end lost an age of time to the maillot jaune. His Tour de France ambitions are left in tatters for another year.
Gall wins stage 17 at the Tour de France!
What a team effort from Ag2r-Citroën who have won their first stage at this year’s Tour de France. Felix Gall landed the biggest win of his career after finishing off the job once he had been set up by Ben O’Connor, but there were no gifts for the Austrian who held off a chasing Simon Yates (Jayco-Alula) who finished second. That was only the second win of Gall’s career after the 25-year old won a stage at the Tour de Suisse in June. Gall also moves up in the mountains classification.
Speaking afterwards, Gall said: “I don’t know what to say. This whole year has been incredible and now to do so well in the Tour and to win the queen stage it’s incredible. I just want to say thank you to the team, they have given me so much.
“It’s not easy to do a three-week stage race and then to also have the role of leader after a few days, I slowly focused on that and I was stressing myself about that, it’s not easy but the last few days I’ve been more comfortable. I was afraid I would be caught in the last kilometre but it’s incredible.”
1km to go
Starting to look like Felix Gall will be winning today, but Simon Yates will, I am sure, be moving up the general classification.
8.4km to go
Jonas Vingegaard is delayed by a race vehicle, it may have been Christian Prudhomme’s red Skoda. That may end his hopes of the stage win, but will have little affect on the eventual outcome of the Tour de France: barring disaster,m Vingegaard will be winning a second successive title in Paris on Sunday.
11.5km to go
Carlos Rodríguez is dropped by the maillot jaune, who now has team-mates Tiesj Benoot and Sepp Kuss for company. Adam Yates, meanwhile, is hanging onto the coattails of that Jumbo-Visma trio which has 1min 10sec over Tadej Pogacar now.
14.4km to go – Pogacar is dropped
Tadej Pogacar has been dropped. Marc Soler sits up, waiting for his team-mate. Pogacar’s jersey is flapping in the wind, he must be having a terrible day. Suffering in the heat. His Tour could be over. In fact, if he completely blows Carlos Rodríguez could leapfrog him to third spot on general classification.
18km to go
Tadej Pogacar remain glued to the wheel of Jonas Vingegaard. The UAE Team Emirates leader peers over his left shoulder where he has three loyal team-mates tucked in behind. He also ha satellite rider Rafal Majka up the road in the breakaway. Does he have the legs to launch an assault on the maillot jaune today?
24.5km to go
Simon Yates is bouncing around on his pedals, riding at fifth wheel in the break, off the right shoulder of Pello Bilbao. Lots of liquids being taken on. It is climbs like this, especially when ridden in these temperatures – around 30C now – where team-mates are worth their weight in gold. Yates, by the way, has team-mate Chris Harper for company. Presumably carrying Yates’ bidons and gels.
25.5km to go
Pogacar is looking serious, no smiling for the cameras today from the great entertainer. This is the business end of the Tour de France, and the two-time winner will be smarting from yesterday’s chastening time trial. Jonathan Castroviejo, meanwhile, is the lone Ineos Grenadiers rider on the front of the maillot jaune’s group now.
26.5km to go
Tadej Pogacar rises out of his saddle, bouncing around just off the shoulder of Jonas Vingegaard. The gap between the stage leaders and these two rivals has dropped ever so slightly to 2min 32sec. Wilco Kelderman and Tiesj Benoot remains in the leading group for Vingegaard, the former is a fine climber and could be a huge help to his boss should Pogacar launch an attack.
28km to go
The breakaway has been splintered, while the Ineos Grenadiers-powered group sweeps its way up the climb, while scooping up and spitting out the remnants of that earlier break. Jack Haig replaces compatriot Ben O’Connor on the front of the breakaway, but starting to think those two Aussies may be getting bowled over later today once the maillot jaune’s group steps up the pace a little further still.
30km to go
Julian Alaphilippe has been subsumed by the maillot jaune’s group, but the Frenchman may struggle to hold on such is the pace with which they are moving. Omar Fraile, the former Spanish national champion, is towing this group along while Michal Kwiatkowski makes sure Carlos Rodríguez is fed and watered on the approach to the business end of the stage.
33km to go
Ben O’Connor is back on the front of the breakaway, but there is an awful long way to go yet. The stage leaders are almost 26km from the summit of the col de la Loze and riders are dropping like flies. Julian Alaphilippe, Giulio Ciccone Alexey Lutsenko and Rigoberto Urán have all been shelled on the lower slopes of this behemoth of a climb. Suspect the stage winner will be coming from a very small and selective group.
35km to go
Nathan Van Hooydonck has peeled off from the front of the maillot jaune’s group. The Belgian managed to give the TV cameras a little wave while his team-mates, who are surrounding trace leader Jonas Vingegaard, press on towards . . . well, who knows? Will Vingegaard be winning the queen stage, or will he take another huge step towards being crowned Tour champion for a second year in a row?
40km to go
Bora-Hansgrohe and Ineos Grenadiers are sharing the workload on the front of the maillot jaune’s group. But why are they riding so hard? I suspect they are doing their best to set a high pace and deter any attacks, in an effort to protect their respective leaders Jai Hindley and Carlos Rodríguez who started the day fifth and fourth on general classification.
45km to go
Ben O’Connor, who arrived at the Tour de France hoping to challenge for the podium, is riding on the front of the breakaway. The Aussie peers over his shoulder, no doubt looking for Ag2r-Citroën team-mate Felix Gall who is looking to cement his top 10 place. The gap between the stage leaders and the maillot jaune’s group is holding at 3min 10sec.
60km to go
Over the top of the côte de Longefoy goes the breakaway, and it is that man Giulio Ciccone who takes maximum points – five – available atop the category two climb. The Italian who is doing a grand old job in the mountains classification, extends his lead further still. The way this is going, I think the only man that can challenge the Lidl-Trek rider for the polka-dots will be Jonas Vingegaard.
63.5km to go – 3.5km from the summit
Jack Haig is out of his saddle, the Australian pulling along on the front of the breakaway. I’m assuming he is working today for team-mate Pello Bilbao who started the day seventh on general classification. The Basque, who won the first Tour de France stage win of his career last week, may be targeting a top five spot.
75km to go
Reports are coming in from the valley that leads into the penultimate climb of the day, the côte de Longefoy, and the mercury is rising. Apparently it is 37C which may favour race leader Jonas Vingegaard. Despite coming from Denmark, Vingegaard goes well in the heat, while Tadej Pogacar prefers cooler conditions.
80km to go
Simon Yates, who is in the day’s big breakaway, was interviewed before today’s stage. In it, the Briton said today would be an ‘interesting day’ before saying he would prioritise a stage win over his eighth spot on general classification.
90km to go
Descending on long sweeping roads, that look to be in fairly good nick, the breakaway has gained a bit of time on the maillot jaune’s group. The descent is not too steep, so the pace is relatively benign. Once the finally reach the bottom, the road will start rising again towards the côte de Longefoy. Despite having some big names in the breakaway, the fact that Jumbo-Visma has afforded them just 1min 45sec would suggest that Jonas Vingegaard fancies his chances this afternoon on what the the queen stage of this year’s Tour.
That breakaway in full . . .
It is 34 riders strong: Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-Quick Step), Tiesj Benoot (Jumbo-Visma), Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious), Magnus Cort (EF Education-EasyPost), Rui Costa (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), Clément Champoussin (Arkéa-Samsic), Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek), Lawson Craddock (Jayco-Alula), Dries Devenyns (Soudal-Quick Step), Matthew Dinham (DSM-Firmenich), Felix Gall (Ag2r-Citroën), Jonas Gregaard (Uno-X), Simon Guglielmi (Arkéa-Samsic), Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious), Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X), Chris Harper (Jayco-Alula), Hugo Houle (Israel-Premier Tech), Wilco Kelderman (Jumbo-Visma), Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ), Alexey Lutsenko (Astana Qazaqstan), Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ), Rafal Majka (UAE Team Emirates), Guillaume Martin (Cofidis), Gregor Mühlberger (Movistar), Krists Neilands (Israel-Premier Tech), Ben O’Connor (Ag2r-Citroën), Nans Peters (Ag2r-Citroën), Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ), Nick Schultz (Israel-Premier Tech), Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek), Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates), Rigoberto Urán (EF Education-EasyPost), Kevin Vermaerke (DSM-Firmenich) and Simon Yates (Jayco-Alula). They lead by 1min 18sec.
111km to go
Interesting to not that Jumbo-Visma has two riders – Wilco Kelderman and Tiesj Benoot – in the huge leading group on the road. Likewise, UAE Team Emirates also have a pair well positioned after Marc Soler managed to bridge over to join forces with Rafal Majka. In both instances, I am assuming they will be working as satellite riders this afternoon.
113km to go
Dries Devenyns (Soudal-Quick Step), who will be retiring at the end of the season, and Jonas Gregaard (Uno-X) have added some firepower to the leading group, which comprises 12 riders now but I suspect will be doubling or tripling in size pretty soon. ‘Just’ 14km to go from the summit of the Cormet de Roselend.
116.6km to go
Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious), Gregor Mühlberger (Movistar), Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek), Kevin Vermaerke (DSM-Firmenich) have bridged over to stage leaders Julian Alaphilippe, Giulio Ciccone and Krists Neilands. The septet of talent is onto the second categorised climb of the day, the category one Cormet de Roselend. Having scratched off 2.5km, the leading group is now 17.5km from its summit.
125km to go
Krists Neilands flexes his lower back as the Latvian, who crashed on a descent during Sunday’s stage, sits on the wheel of Giulio Ciccone. The leading trio – completed by Julian Alaphilippe – are working well together, but their advantage over Jonas Vingegaard and his busy bees is negligible: just 17sec.
130km to go
Julian Alaphilippe is descending off the col des Saisies like a demon, the Frenchman is being pursued by Krists Neilands and Giulio Ciccone. The trio only lead the maillot jaune by a shade over 20sec, which would suggest Jumbo-Visma are in no mood to gift anybody anything here today. Seriously thinking that Jonas Vingegaard may actually be thinking of also winning the polka-dot jersey.
138km to go
Tiesj Benoot has taken over on the front, Jumbo-Visma team-mate Dylan van Baarle peeling off, with the Belgian rising out of his saddle. It looks as if he’s really going for this. As a result, quite a few riders in the peloton are struggling – including Benoot’s team-mates Wout van Aert and Christophe Laporte – while the breakaway’s advantage has dropped. Speaking of being dropped, Neilson Powless has been shelled out of the front group to hand the advantage to Giulio Ciccone in the battle for the mountains points in a short while.
142km to go
Dylan van Baarle appears to be setting a fairly fierce temp on the front of the peloton. The breakaway now leads by just below 30sec, while at the other end of things Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) and Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious) are struggling to stay in contact. Jumbo-Visma are making this as hard as possible for their rivals, and UAE Team Emirates have, thus far, looked a little ragged.
145km to go
Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-Quick Step), Rigoberto Urán (EF Education-EasyPost), Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) and Simon Yates (Jayco-Alula) – along with around another 12 riders – have bridged over to Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek), Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) and Jonas Gregaard (Uno-X) on the front of the race. The sizeable group has an advantage of 20sec, while further back Dutch champion Dylan van Baarle (Jumbo-Visma) is controlling the pace of the peloton.
148km to go
Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-Quick Step) has taken things up on the front of the peloton, the increase in pace leading to a huge reduction in the ‘breakaway’s lead. Perhaps of more importance, though: Tadej Pogacar crashed in the bunch a few minutes ago. It never rains, it pours! The UAE Team Emirates rider is back on his bike, surrounded by team-mates and back in the bunch as it inches up the first categorised climb of the day, the category one col des Saisies.
153km to go
Luka Mezgec (Jayco-Alula), the Slovenian sprinter, has managed to get into the leading group – which has advantage of 35sec – along with Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek), Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost), Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) and Jonas Gregaard (Uno-X). Some strong riders, but imagine this will not be the day’s breakaway.
158km to go
Harold Tejada (Astana Qazaqstan), Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) and Quentin Pacher (Groupama-FDJ) all shunted themselves towards the front of the race, but the peloton is all back as one – albeit stretched out in a long, long line. Suspect tickets for the breakaway today will not be handed out too freely.
And they are off . . .
Having pedalled through short and relatively short neutralised section, race director Christian Prudhomme has reached KM0 where he stood up out of the sunroof of his shiny red Skoda before dropping the flag to signify that stage 17 is under way. Unsurprisingly, Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) and Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) were both tucked in just behind Prudhomme’s car, as was French national champion Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ).
Stage 17 preview
Hello and welcome to our live rolling coverage from stage 17 at the Tour de France, the 166 kilometre run from Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc to Courchevel.
Following yesterday’s time trial to Combloux, emphatically won by Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), one suspects a punch-drunk Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) will have awoken this morning wondering what happened on Tuesday afternoon. Well, the two-time Tour winner got walloped by the defending champion with an out-of-this-world performance that may prove decisive. Losing 1min 38sec to a Vingegaard who, until yesterday, had been shadowing Pogacar pedal stroke for pedal stroke over the previous few days came as a huge shock to most observers. With a huge day in the mountains incoming, though, Pogacar has no time to wallow.
With four categorised climbs – the col des Saisies, Cormet de Roselend, côte de Longefoy and the col de la Loze – that features 5,400 metres in vertical elevation, this is not a stage for the faint-hearted. The final climb of the day, the hors catégorie col de la Loze (below) may have an average gradient of just 5%, but with sections that pitch up to 24% near the summit this could cause some serious damage. In addition to its 28.1km length, and punishing gradients near the pointy end of the climb, another factor that may prove decisive is its altitude: 2,304 metres above sea level. This is prime territory for Vingegaard who, on paper, prefers the longer and higher climbs, but Pogacar will be hurting and must, surely, attempt to crack his rival of he wants any chance of winning a third Tour.
Aside from the main protagonists, it could be a big days for those targeting the mountains classification, so I would not be surprised if Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) and Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) attempt to get into a breakaway.
Whatever happens, Telegraph Sport will be here to guide you through all of the key moments, from start to finish. Racing starts at 11.30am (BST).