Tadej Pogacar launched a relentless challenge in the final stretch of the longest stage of the Tour de France to grab the overall lead on Thursday.
The UAE Team Emirates rider, chasing a hat-trick of titles, mounted his attack in the final 200 metres to win the 220-kilometre sixth stage in 4 hours 27 minutes and 13 seconds from Australian Michael Matthews and Frenchman David Gaudu.
Pogacar's teammates Rafał Majka and Brandon McNulty led him up the final climb before the Slovenian went for broke. Jumbo-Visma rider Primoz Roglic initially overtook him, but in the end the reigning champion had too much strength and speed.
“Yes, every time I win, it's even better,” Pogacar said.
Belgian overnight leader Wout Van Aert had spent much of the day driving the pace as he powered a breakaway, then emerging as the last survivor as he tried to take on the peloton alone for the final 30km.
But after he was reeled in 10km from Longwy – sitting up and finishing some seven minutes down – Pogacar took over and was able to celebrate short of the line.
“Today was so hard from the start, the first two hours was so crazy," added Pogacar. "The strongest guy went in the breakaway (Van Aert). A lot of guys pulling in the peloton, our team as well. I was thinking that he would come to the finish, but in the end, the peloton was stronger.
“We came to the final climb and I was still feeling good. The team did an incredibly good job bringing me to perfect position.
“I'm so happy. It was not a pure sprint because we rode the last two climbs really hard, it was above our threshold, super hard into the final climb, hectic, and I guess I had good legs to push at the end.”
UAE Team Emirates rider Tadej Pogacar celebrates his stage win. AFP
Pogacar was
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