Pogacar retakes Tour de France lead in crushing mountain win
HAUTACAM, France: Tadej Pogacar said he was in the form of his life after climbing to a commanding Tour de France stage win on the Hautacam mountain in the Pyrenees on Thursday. The three-time Tour winner punished his key rival Jonas Vingegaard on stage 12 as he left him trying to limit the damage on the first major mountain on the 21-day race. Team UAE leader Pogacar skipped away on an 11km solo ascent to finish two minutes and 10 seconds ahead of Vingegaard, who refrained from trying to follow the blistering attack. Overnight leader Ben Healy of Ireland meanwhile wilted to a 13min deficit on the day. French President Emmanuel Macron was on hand at the mountaintop finish, shaking his head in admiration as the 26-year-old shot across the line. Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel was also left trying to limit his losses, finishing 3min 35sec down in seventh on the 180.6km ride from Auch. In the overall standings Pogacar now leads by 3min 31sec over Visma rider Vingegaard while Evenepoel is third at a daunting 4min 45sec. Pogacar admitted after the race that until now he’s been cranky, complaining about attacks, the heat and tiredness. But he offered a different story in the Pyrenees. “I could see that Visma weren’t feeling so well,” he said. “On the last climb it was really hot but I was really feeling good,” he said, explaining how he shattered the 12-man group still clinging on at the foot of the final climb. He also offered a broader explanation. “This is the best moment of my career.