The duelists surrender blow for blow, live wheel to wheel. From departure to arrival. Whatever the profile. Step by step, taking all the risks, they are writing the scenario for a breathtaking Tour de France. The Tour has seen epic duels Anquetil-Poulidor (in 1964), LeMond-Hinault (in 1986), Roche-Delgado (in 1987), LeMond-Fignon (in 1989), Contador-Evans (in 2007) or Schleck-Contador (in 2010).
If the fight between the Dane Jonas Vingegaard and the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, separated by 10 seconds in the general classification after 14 stages is, for the moment, not the tightest in the history of the event between the yellow jersey and its dolphin (in 2008 a second separated Cadel Evans from Fränk Schleck), it is embedded as one of the most stunning.
The desire of the organizers is always to make the suspense travel as long as possible. Bet won. It serves the spectacle of a race of movement which has the taste of freedom, the spirit of enterprise which sows twists, does not reveal anything of the totally unforeseeable outcome. And the difficulties remaining to be climbed promise spectacle and suspense. How far ? Until the Markstein end of the 20th and penultimate stage? To the Champs-Élysées? What if the difference widened the day they couldn’t follow each other, breathe each other, spy on each other? During the time trial (exercise reduced to 22 km this year), uphill?
Vingegaard and Pogacar crush the Tower, change roles, attack or defend (with more or less accuracy and success), seek the knockout but must resolve to share the prizes (yellow jersey and polka dot jersey for Vingegaard, white jersey and a stage victory for Pogacar).
Their duel is one of the greatest of the last 40 years (the 3rd in the general classification, the Spaniard Carlos Rodriguez is at 4’43”). They have eight days left to settle at the top. But the explanation will date. Waiting for Pogacar vs Evenepoel next year. The Tour will barely have recovered from the emotions of a 2023 edition which has everything of a very great vintage…