«I have to say I was surprised by who used the time trial bike", he said Dominic Pozzo aliveWe explored the Peyragudes time trial with the Lucanian climber. A time trial that featured him, once again, as the protagonist: Tadej Pogacar.
The Slovenian takes home the stage, strengthens his yellow jersey, secures his fourth stage victory and also takes back the polka-dot jersey. But perhaps the real news, or rather, the image of the day is jonas vingegaard which resumes Remco Evenepoel.
Jonas and Remco: the overtaking
Yet Vingegaard didn't seem all that surprised. "Yesterday," the Dane said, "I wasn't at my usual level. Yes, it was my second bad day at the Tour. I don't know how that's possible. These things don't usually happen to me. Today I'm back to my old level. I still believe in myself and I will keep trying. The team is incredibly strong and we have to prove it now; Tour it's not finished yet."
Meanwhile, Remco, exhausted and disappointed, didn't respond to those who asked him about Vingegaard's overtaking. A legitimate question, of course, but one that, in that moment of frustration, could perhaps have been perceived as provocation.
«It's been a bad day – said the Belgian – I don't care about anything else"How can you blame him? These past two days have been incredibly tough for him, and tonight he'll go to sleep with more worries than certainties.
Tadej without doubts
This time trial on the Pyrenean pass offered so many insights. Pozzo and I discussed technical choices and performance, but also the stellar average speed. An average speed of between 26,5 and 27 km/h was predicted: Tadej broke the 28 barrier.
Pogacar himself expressed his opinion on the technical choice made in concert with his UAE Team Emirates: "Choosing the bike was the most important decision today. We race this bike almost all the time; we use it 99 percent of the time. We did our calculations and If you can't use all your power on the time trial, you'll end up with the same final time. I feel more comfortable with this bike, even on the climbs. It worked well for me. However, I struggled a lot too. In the final, I thought I was going to explode, but luckily I saw the stopwatch on the scoreboard and realizing I was going to win, which motivated me."
Put Pogacar's words aside carefully, because they will be very useful to you when you now read Pozzovivo's.
Domenico, a really nice time trial with a ton of technical features, starting with the choice of materials. What did you think of it?
I have to say I was quite surprised by the choice of those who used time trial bikes, but in the end, given the average hourly rate, it really was a viable choice. They were truly two borderline strategies: either one could work.
And that's what Pinotti told us A while ago: time trial bike yes or time trial bike no? We were at the limit…
If we had stuck to the classic Peyresourde, I would have definitely said time trial bike. While going up to the airport, that steep finish raised some doubts about the effectiveness of the time trial bike. Pogacar was really confident, he had no problem choosing his bike (the Colnago Y1Rs, editor's note).
One thing we noticed was that those on time trial bikes weren't always in position, apart from Roglic... Maybe this tells us that the road bike was better?
Considering the aero bike they have in Visma-Lease a Bike (The Cervélo S5, ed.), for me it was better. Then it's also true that Vingegaard is someone who has better critical power on the time trial bike than on the road bike. Let's remember when he rode the devastating time trial at Combloux in 2023: I don't think he's ever achieved that kind of power relative to his weight on a road bike. But I think he could have gained maybe ten seconds on a road bike.
Vingegaard was very strong. How much of an impact did seeing Soudal's car stall first and then Remco in front?
In those cases it helps to see the rider in front of you, because By the end, you've got lactic acid all the way up to your ears. Every little motivation, even a distraction, every support can help. to push harder, especially on a wall like that. I think it easily gained him 5-10 seconds over Tadej.
Let's stick with the Visma setup: time trial bike, aero helmet, and low-profile wheels. Why? Is it a matter of weight?
Yes, the blanket was short: they pulled it to one side and left the wheel aspect exposed. I would have sacrificed the aero helmet in favor of the normal one. I would have rather put a very high wheel or at least one a little higher.
There was some serious mix-up in terms of setup. Lenny Martinez with a road bike and a disc brake at the back, Tobias Foss with a high wheel at the front and a low wheel at the back… Does this suggest a lot of thought went into it?
Everyone tried to achieve their goals in their own way. These are situations where some people might use their imagination, but sometimes perhaps we should be more rational. Bottom line: I would never have worn the lenticular.
And what would Domenico Pozzovivo's structure have been?
I would definitely have used an aero road bike, filing down every possible part. This way you can easily bring her down to 7 kilos and for me it would have made a difference.
What Pogacar did, essentially…
Even because I've been using an aero bike lately and it does a good job of holding its own uphill, at least if it's not too heavy. Then the rider's style also matters. I, for example, like a very stiff bike, and aero bikes usually are, so I would have had a very responsive spring rate.
Do you think they made small adjustments to the handlebars, perhaps lengthening the stem to stay lower, or do they leave nothing to chance in the middle of the Tour?
On the road bike, no, but on the time trial bike, yes. Remco was clearly less aero than usual. He raised the aerobars quite a bit (rumor has it, 2 centimeters, ed.). The problem with time trial bikes is that they are less forgiving when you are in crisis, as happened to Remco. It was a much riskier choice. If you're okay with it like that primoz Roglic, who had his best day in this Tour, make the most of it.
Then you have to have certain characteristics, you have to be used to that bike. As you said before, Vingegaard has the highest critical power on the time trial…
And Roglic also expresses himself well. And well Florian Lipowitz he's someone who has an incredible core, the central part of the body. Even when he's on a road bike, it looks like he's on a time trial bike, given the way he holds the handlebars and his relaxed riding style. Well, in his case, I wouldn't have had any hesitation in using a time trial bike. You can tell he's comfortable on it and can express himself.
What did you think of the performance?
Given yesterday's performance, I expected another show from Tadej Pogačar today. The winning time was truly incredible. His average is out of the ordinary. Even going above 27 km/h would have been extraordinary, he did more than 28 (28,435 km/h, ed.). He's on another planet. Even someone as strong as Vingegaard has made a world of difference compared to other champions.
So are these 36 seconds a huge difference or could someone have expected even more?
No, we couldn't have expected such gaps. A long stage is one thing, a short effort is another. It's a different matter. We also need to mentally understand how it was approached. Yesterday I saw Tadej push all the way because in my opinion he had the best time of the climb in his head. Today for me he didn't have that double goal, so when he realized he had won he pushed, yes, but without destroying himself. He arrived much less at full speed than Vingegaard.
Instead, is there anyone who has made an impact on you, positively or negatively?
Luke Plop I expected it because he's someone who has those numbers in terms of absolute power on a steep climb. On the negative side, I'd say Remco: I expected him to finish third, but he struggled more than yesterday. I expect everything from him. Tomorrow he might even bounce back, or the day that puts an end to his standings could arrive.
The trend isn't in his favor. Do you think he was saved yesterday only because Matteo Jorgenson and Simon Yates broke away?
But be careful, yesterday Visma's tactics were so tight, so much at the limit to look for a flaw in Tadej, that they were not counter-performances Jorgenson or Remco. They were so on the edge that there was a risk of blowing up their teammates, and that's what happened. Jorgenson and Yates dropped out because we were going incredibly fast. Remco held his ground really well, considering he'd dropped out on the penultimate climb. In short, going faster than that was impossible. It would have taken another Tadej and another Vinge to pull away at that moment.
How do you see the fight for the podium?
It's open. Based on my experience and after today's good performance, I'd say that if Roglic doesn't have his usual problems, he's the one most likely to reach the podium in Paris. But teammate Lipowitz is solid. They're both my favorites. But there's still a long way to go. Tomorrow's stage will tell a lot, because it's not just a triple-header. Wednesday's stage must also be added. These are going to be four very demanding days. And in four days like that, unexpected situations can arise.
What gear ratios do you think were fitted to the Red Bull and Visma single-chainrings? Could they have been 48s?
I couldn't say exactly, but by eye, yes: it could have been a 48. But for me the single chainring was a risky choice, very much at the limit regardless of the precise gearing (whether it was a 46, a 48 or a 51, ed.), because there was a risk of not finding the right ratio, especially with today's rear derailleurs that make big jumps.
A bit like what happened to Remco?
Most likely, yes, even if he wasn't having a good day. You know, When you're well, you can always patch things up, but if you're sick, every problem becomes an ordeal.
