Pogacar 'will give everything' in bid regain Tour de France lead from Vingegaard

Tadej Pogacar has vowed to “give everything” and not “have any regrets” as he looks to overhaul Tour de France leader Jonas Vingegaard.

On a dramatic Stage 15 on Sunday, Danish rider Vingegaard held on to the yellow jersey despite suffering a heavy fall and losing the services of two Jumbo-Visma teammates in Primoz Roglic and Steven Kruijswijk through injury.

It meant UAE Team Emirates rider Pogacar still trails Vingegaard by two minutes and 22 seconds but also gave the Slovenian renewed hope of making it three Tour titles in a row.

“I need to grab every chance, use every climb there is. I need to try to attack,” Pogacar told reporters during Monday's rest day. “I will give everything and I hope I don't have any regrets.

“There will be opportunities. We are all tired physically and mentally. But I'm going to try everything.”

Defending champion Pogacar was toppled on Stage 11 last week in a gruelling Alpine battle after coming under sustained fire from Vingegaard and his Jumbo-Visma teammates.

But Vingegaard sustained bruises on his left side after hitting the deck on Sunday, while Kruijswijk crashed out and Roglic retired from the race after failing to recover from a back injury.

It leaves Jumbo Visma down to six riders and with one of them, Tiesj Benoot, battered and bruised after also crashing on Sunday.

Tuesday's Stage 16 features two brutal category-one climb before Stages 17 and 18 take the peloton into some of the toughest climbs of the Pyrenees.

UAE Team Emirates rider Tadej Pogacar after Stage 11 of the 2022 Tour de France on Wednesday, July 13, when the Slovenian relinquished his race leader's yellow jersey. Reuters

Vingegaard, though, insisted he felt good despite his crash. “I slept well. I'm a bit bruised