Presented by NTT DATA
39’’: POGACAR DISTANCES VINGEGAARD LIKE NEVER BEFORE
Today’s challenge up Pla d’Adet was the 15th Tour summit finish with Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard both in the race and it was the 13th time the Slovenian finished ahead of the Dane. The result is unprecedented for Pogacar though, as he never managed to open such a gap - 39’’ - to his rival on a summit finish. His previous record was 32’’ in Tignes (Tour 2021) and 24’’ in Cauterets-Cambasque (2023). On every other occasion, Vingegaard finished less than 8’’ behind Pogacar.
On the other hand, the two summit finishes where Vingegaard got the better of Pogacar led to massive gaps: 2’51’’ at Col du Granon (2022) and 1’04’’ at Hautacam (2022).
5X2: POGACAR IS A SERIAL WINNER
For the 5th year in a row, Tadej Pogacar wins at least 2 stages in the Tour de France, bringing his tally up to 13 wins. He is the 4th rider to achieve such a series. And if we consider, these are his first 5 Tour participations, only 2 riders before him managed to do it.
The longest series with multiple stage wins:
- Nicolas Frantz, 6 years in a row, from 1924 until 1929 (from his 1st until his 6th participation)
- Mark Cavendish, 6, 2008-2013 (2-7)
- Bernard Hinault, 5, 1978-1982 (1-5)
- Tadej Pogacar, 5, 2020-2024 (1-5)
Eddy Merckx won multiple stages in his first 4 Tours, from 1969 until 1972, then skipped the 1973 edition, and returned in winning fashion in 1974 and 1975.
3/3: POGACAR LOVES THE TOURMALET
For the 3rd time in his career, Tadej Pogacar climbed the Tourmalet in a Tour de France stage. And for the 3rd time, he won the stage, with Jonas Vingegaard always coming 2nd.
- Pau - Luz-Ardiden 2021
- Tarbes - Cauterets-Cambasque 2023
- Pau - Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet 2024
16: POGACAR IS BY FAR THE BEST SCORER
With a 16th win this season, Tadej Pogacar puts more distance between him and the 2nd most successful rider of the year, Tim Merlier (12). He is only 1 victory shy of his best season to date, with 17 wins last year. And since he already won 16 times in 2022, he is now up 49 wins in the last 3 seasons. When will the 50th come?
107.9: ARMIRAIL SPEEDS UP ON HOME ROADS
Hailing from Bagnères-de-Bigorre, Bruno Armirail has climbed and descended the Tourmalet dozens of times since he was a kid. On stage 14, he made the most of his knowledge at the front of the race, averaging 20.6km/h on the ascent… and hitting 107.9km/h on the downhill, the highest speed recorded by the NTT Data trackers.
13: LAZKANO, A NEW SPANISH CONQUEROR OF THE TOURMALET
With an average speed of 20.6km/h over the 19km of ascent, Oier Lazkano became the 71st different rider to go first atop the Tourmalet in a stage of the Tour (out of 87 ascents) and the 13th Spaniard to do so. The first was Vicente Trueba, in 1933, and the last David de la Fuente, in 2006. Federico Bahamontes (1954, 1962, 1963) and Julio Jimenez (1964, 1965, 1967) both dominated the ascent on 3 occasions.
33: POGACAR CLOSES IN ON BOTTECCHIA
With a 33rd Maillot Jaune, Tadej Pogacar is only one step behind Ottavio Bottecchia, who claimed 34 from 1923 until 1925. Exactly 100 years ago, he became the first Italian winner of the Tour, leading the race from day 1 until the finish, and he was especially impressive in the Pyrenees, gaining almost 20 minutes on his first chaser as he went over the Tourmalet en route to Luchon (stage 6).
