'I wasted a bullet' – Pogacar's attack blocked by motorbike at Tour de France

Jumbo-Visma's Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey cycles ahead of UAE Team Emirates' Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar wearing the best young rider's white jersey in the final ascent on the Col de Joux Plane during the 110th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 152 km between Annemasse and Morzine Les Portes du Soleil, in the French Alps, on July 15, 2023. (Photo by Bernard PAPON / POOL / AFP)
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) is passed by Jumbo-Visma's Jonas Vingegaard in the final ascent on the Col de Joux Plane (Image credit: Bernard PAPON / POOL / AFP Getty Images)

When Tadej Pogačar lifted himself from the saddle 550 metres or so from the summit of the Col de Joux Plane on stage 14 of the Tour de France, it should have been clear to everybody on the mountainside that he was preparing to accelerate with the force of a thousand suns. He had done precisely the same thing at more or less the same spot on the Grand Colombier the previous afternoon, after all.

Yellow jersey Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), who could sense his rival moving with intent on his shoulder, was certainly braced for impact, but the pair of motorbikes travelling a small distance in front of the two leaders seemed to be completely unprepared for Pogačar’s sudden launch. Their failure to increase their pace when Pogačar attacked meant the Slovenian was forced to brake and desist barely 40m into his effort.

Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan was Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.

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