Tadej Pogacar wins thrilling Stage 17 but Jonas Vingegaard retains Tour de France lead

UAE Team Emirates rider Tadej Pogacar was pushed to his limits on a thrilling day's racing as he won Stage 17 of the Tour de France to slightly close the gap on overall leader Jonas Vingegaard at the summit of Peyragudes on Wednesday.

The Danish rider stayed behind the defending champion to finish second and take the six-second time bonus, meaning he lost only four seconds, with his lead now at two minutes and 18 seconds.

Both Pogacar and Vingegaard raced shoulder-to-shoulder on the final 300 metres of the steep climb before the UAE Team Emirates rider crossed the finishing line first, to claim the 10-second bonus, with the Jumbo-Visma man behind him in second.

Brandon McNulty, Pogacar’s American teammate who led him up all the way on the final steep climb to the finishing line, took third spot ahead of Briton Geraint Thomas, the Ineos Grenadiers holding on to third overall, now 4:56 behind the leader.

“To take the stage win today was already incredible,” Pogacar said after Rafal Majka, who suffered a thigh injury when his chain snapped on Tuesday, became the fourth UAE Team Emirates rider to exit the race.

“The team … we were only four, and to take the stage win is incredible. We can all be proud because without them we cannot try more. We see tomorrow as another chance but for now, I am happy.