Vingegaard's numbers in the Tour time trial: this is how he asphalted Pogacar (and all the others)

Combloux (France), 18 July 2023 - A test of strength it had to be and a test of strength it was: the 22,4 km of stopwatch from Passy a Combloux, valid for stage 16 of the Tour de France 2023, strengthen the yellow jersey of jonas vingegaard, which closes in 32'36 '', inflicting 1'38 '' a Tadej pogacar, now distant in the general classification 1'48 ''.

The numbers

To the most attentive eyes, the Dane's day of grace gave its first signs right from the initial pedal strokes of what many had indicated was the key stage to break the balance between the two rivals, just distant 10 '' until this morning. In fact this was the case despite a very first part of the clock that seemed to smile on pogacar, ahead of 5 '' in the first screening. The first turning point comes at the top of the hill Cote de la Cascade de Coeur, a very respectable climb incredibly not reported as a GPM: vingegaard comeback and move ahead of 6 '', loot that even becomes of 16 '' to the first intermediate, closed in 9'54 ''. The gap widens at the second detection, where the yellow jersey passes in 19'05 '' compared to 19'36 '' di pogacar, who chooses another strategy: yes to changing bikes, which costs in total 14 '', to try using a lighter vehicle on the Cote de Domancy. The benefits, however, are not seen, with the Slovenian reaching the top with a delay of 1'05 ''destined to become of 1'38 '' at the finish. In short, demerits of a pogacar appeared immediately without the pedaling of the golden days but deserves, many, of vingegaard, whose domain is well photographed by two peaks unassailable by all the others: the maximum speed (81.9 km/h) and the average speed (41.2 km/h). All without changing bikes and, a more unique than rare case, without even drinking during the entire time trial: a Martian, in fact, who however at the top of the Cote de Domancy he had to give in to the best of humans in that segment, a Julius Ciccone who defends his polka dot shirt by going down the hill 6'31 '' compared to 6'37 '' of the Danish. A fact that underlines the goodness of the Abruzzese's performance, which thus legitimizes the symbol he wears. It does the same vingegaard, at his 22st day overall in yellow jersey. The most popular question at the moment is only one: the Tour Is it really over or is there still some glimmer of hope for those who dream of a comeback? In the case of pogacar, the hopes are few but they exist: the only creaks the Dane showed were in the sharp attacks, which could be launched by the Slovenian in the next stages, net of the absence of the uphill finishes in the third week. A somewhat anomalous scenario for a Great Tour. For the rest, the two phenomena demonstrated similar values ​​when the road goes up: vingegaard, lighter (60 kg), on the Col de Joux-Plane produced on average 404 watts in front of the 425 watts di pogacar, which weighs 64 kg, for a ratio of approximately 6,8 watts/kg. Details, trifles, swept away by today's showdown which risks having directed the whole Great Boucle towards the Dane for the second year in a row.

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