Michael Woods of the Israel-PremierTech team took a spectacular victory at the summit of the Puy-de-Dôme, overlooking Clermont-Ferrand, as Tadej Pogacar eroded a few more seconds of the defending champion Jonas Vingegaard’s lead.
Woods, almost two minutes behind solo attacker Matteo Jorgenson at the foot of the climb, powered his way beyond the exhausted American on the brutal final gradients. The Canadian is twice a stage winner in the Vuelta a España but this was his first Tour stage success.
As Woods celebrated, dashing the hopes of Jorgenson in the last 400 metres, Tour favourites Pogacar, riding for UAE Team Emirates and Vingegaard, of Jumbo-Visma, were coming up the steep narrow road in a select group that also included Britain’s Tom Pidcock, whose strong showing lifted him up the General Classification to seventh overall.
But a sharp acceleration from Pogacar, a kilometre and a half from the finish, saw the Slovenian claw back time on his Danish rival, in a race that still remains too close to call. Vingegaard contained the gap and, on the eve of the first rest day, retains the yellow jersey but with a reduced lead of 17 seconds.
With stifling temperatures settling on the Massif Central, it was the perfect day for a breakaway to take its chance. So it proved, with a 13-rider attack that included American Neilson Powless of EF Education-EasyPost; his compatriot, Jorgenson, of the Movistar team; Milan-San Remo winner and past Tour stage winner, Matej Mohoric of Bahrain Victorious; and Woods, who rides for Chris Froome’s Israel-PremierTech, all moving clear.
The break’s lead on the peloton was well over 15 minutes by the time lone leader Jorgenson, who survived a bee flying into his helmet during the afternoon, approached Clermont-Ferrand with a 20-second advantage on the remnants of the lead group.
after newsletter promotion
In 35-degree heat, the lonely route to the top of the Puy looked a thankless task, but he gradually built up his lead to just under a minute as he reached the foot of the 13-kilometre climb. But Woods had timed his effort perfectly and accelerated past the exhausted Jorgenson to secure victory.
