Defending Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard from Jumbo-Visma rode the most effective particular person time trial of his life to win Stage 16 of the 2023 tour. Vingegaard prolonged his total lead over Tadej Pogacar (UAE Group Emirates) to 1:48 with 5 phases remaining.
Jonas Vingegaard from Jumbo-Visma, seen right here approaching the end line at Combloux, posted the quickest time in a person time trial to win Stage 16 of the Tour de France. (Picture: Reuters)
Via the primary 15 phases, Vingegaard and Pogacar had been simply 10 seconds aside within the basic classification (GC) standings after a troublesome weekend within the French Alps.
The prevailing sentiment heading into the time trial at Stage 16 was that the heads-up winner between the 2 rivals will almost definitely win this 12 months’s Tour de France.
Vingegaard locked up his first stage win of this 12 months’s tour and padded his total lead by a further 98 seconds. Pogacar is at present in second place within the GC standings and 1:48 behind Vingegaard.
There’s a fierce battle for third place on the ultimate podium in Paris. Adam Yates, Pogacar’s teammate at UAE Group Emirates, moved into third place within the GC standings after a robust experience in Stage 16. Yates trails Vingegaard by 8:52, however he holds a five-second lead over fourth-place Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers).
Stage 16 ITT: Passy to Combloux
Just one particular person time trial was scheduled within the 2023 Tour de France. The quick however troublesome experience in Stage 16 from Passy to Combloux was 22.4 kilometers lengthy, however the time trial concluded with a punishing ascent of Cote de Domancy. The Class 2 climb was 2.5 km lengthy with a median gradient of 9.4%.
If Vingegaard holds on to win the 2023 Tour de France, he’ll look again on the showdown on the Cote de Domancy as an inflection level.
Pogacar opted to swap out bikes earlier than the ascent of the Cote de Domancy. UAE Group Emirates gambled that the swap, which might take 10 seconds to finish, would profit Pogacar. He ditched his time trial bike for a climbing bike, however the swap didn’t matter.
Vingegaard, in the meantime, didn’t swap out bikes. He remained within the saddle on his time trial bike and dominated the ascent of Cote de Domancy.
“I used to be feeling nice at the moment,” stated Vingegaard. “It’s the most effective time trial I’ve ever achieved. Right this moment I even stunned myself with the time trial. I didn’t count on to take action properly.”
Wout Van Aert from Jumbo-Visma posted a sensational run at 35:27 and seized first place within the stage standings earlier than Pogacar and Vingegaard started their runs as the ultimate two riders. Regardless of a robust efficiency, Van Aert completed third total in Stage 16 and was 2:55 slower than his teammate.
Pogacar was the betting favourite to win the Stage 16 time trial at +100 odds. Vingegaard was an in depth second at +125 odds, adopted by Van Aert.
Stage 17 and Stage 20 Loom
Two extra flat phases are on the schedule, which can profit sprinters. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin–Deceuninck) is the most popular sprinter on Le Tour this 12 months, having already received 4 dash phases. The Belgian pace demon is the favourite to cross the end line first in Stage 19 in Poligny and once more in Stage 21 in Paris, which he received final 12 months.
5 extra phases stay, and two of them are mountain phases. Pogacar has simply two extra possibilities to chop into Vingegaard’s lead in Stage 17 and Stage 20.
On Wednesday, the peloton faces probably the most troublesome stage of this 12 months’s schedule. The 166-kilometer experience in Stage 17 begins in Saint-Gervais-les-Bains and ends at Courchevel. There’s a trio of categorized climbs through the first half of the stage, with one hellacious uncategorized climb (HC) close to the end line. Pogacar has no alternative however to make a transfer on the Col de la Loze throughout a 28-kilometer ascent.
The penultimate stage takes place on Saturday with Stage 20. The 135-kilometer route begins in Belfort and ends in Le Markstein. The ultimate mountain stage options six climbs, together with Col de la Schlucht.
Earlier than Stage 1, oddsmakers at DraftKings put in Vingegaard as a slight favourite at +110 odds to defend his title. Pogacar was +115 odds to win his third yellow jersey within the final 4 years.
Earlier than Stage 16 started, Vingegaard was -120 odds to win the Tour de France, and Pogacar was even cash at +100 odds. It was nonetheless too near name heading into the time trial.
After Vingegaard received Stage 16, his futures vastly improved to -1000 odds, whereas Pogacar slipped to +800 odds.
