In short:
Jonas Vingegaard has pipped Tadej Pogačar to win the latest stage of the Tour de France from Évaux-les-Bains to Le Lioran.
Pogačar extended his overall lead in the general classification to 1 minute and 6 seconds.
What’s next?
Vingegaard will begin the 12th stage 8 seconds behind Pogačar on the overall standings.
Two-time defending champion Jonas Vingegaard has held off race leader Tadej Pogačar to win the 11th stage of the Tour de France, having caught the Slovenian after he made a break.
The 211-kilometre ride from Évaux-les-Bains to Le Lioran is the longest stage on this year’s Tour and while the expected early breaks materialised, it came down to the main contenders, with the overall top four making up the first four at the finish.
For Vingegaard, who came into this year’s event having not raced for three months after suffering a collapsed lung and fractured rib, this was a significant victory over the race leader and favourite.
“It’s of course very emotional for me,” Vingegaard said.
“Coming back from the crash, it means a lot and all the things I went through in the last three months, it makes you think of that and I would never have been able to do this without my family.”
Pogačar still extended his overall lead to 1 minute and 6 seconds over Remco Evenepoel, who finished third in the stage.
Denmark’s Vingegaard is a further 8 seconds back in the general classification.
A group of 10 riders managed to get away for long parts of the race, but Pogačar’s UAE Emirates teammates controlled the front of the peloton and never let a large gap open.
Irishman Ben Healy was the last to resist before being swallowed up by the chasing pack with 1km left to the top of Pas de Peyrol, the toughest of the stage’s six climbs, and Pogačar made his move close to the summit.
Pogačar extended his lead on the descent, but Vingegaard showed his mettle and left Primož Roglič behind to go in pursuit of the leader, catching him just before the top of the next climb with less than 15km to the finish.
The final descent to the finish was a narrow ride, and Vingegaard took the lead on the home straight in a game of cat and mouse and when they finally started sprinting, he just held off Pogačar on the line.
Jai Hindley was the best-placed Australian in 25th position. He is 19th on the general classification standings, 17 minutes and 23 seconds behind Pogačar.
Reuters