COURCHEVEL, France (Velo) — Tadej Pogačar didn’t race to settle the score with the Col de la Loze on Thursday at the Tour de France, but rather he paced himself up his most feared climb to all but secure the yellow jersey.
The Slovenian returned to the climb that broke him in 2023, but instead of blindly bulldozing to try to win the stage — or risk falling into a trap if he tried — Pogačar raced just hard enough tighten his grip on yellow.
Is this a new cautious and calculating Pogačar?
Hell no. Pogačar wanted to win, it’s just that the race dynamics tilted away from him under a relentless onslaught from Visma-Lease a Bike and a very strong Ben O’Connor.
“I wanted the stage win today but our clear priority was staying in the overall lead,” Pogacar said. “Our tactics fell apart and we couldn’t go for the stage today.
“I was a bit scared of this stage, but it turned out to be a beautiful day. I hope we will survive so we can reach the Champs-Élysées in yellow on Sunday.”
With just three stages left to go, Pogačar is counting down the kilometers.
The Col de la Loze was his bete noire that he wanted to tame, but Pogačar is slowly putting squeeze on the yellow jersey.
And that’s what really counts.
Pogačar racing for yellow, not padding his stats
Coming into the final week of the Tour, many expected Pogačar to steam roll to victories at both Mont Ventoux and at Col de la Loze, the two iconic giants in this year’s Tour profile.
Yet on both days, Pogačar and UAE Emirates-XRG refused to get too greedy.
Is that a tactical pivot for Pogačar and UAE?
Coming into Thursday’s stage, Pogačar was already in the driver’s seat with four stage wins and a four-minute-plus lead on Vingegaard.
No longer gone. No longer dead.
Tadej Pogacar banishes his demons on the Col de la Loze to take even more time from his closest rival, Jonas Vingegaard pic.twitter.com/So4W6A6jq2
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) July 24, 2025
Pogačar doesn’t need to attack to win this Tour.
“At the bottom of the climb, my guys started to pull and I was hoping we would bring the break back, yet Ben O’Connor was very strong and managed to defeat us,” Pogačar said. “I’m happy I had good legs and kept the yellow jersey. It was difficult to make any difference today.”
Two things happened both on Mont Ventoux and again on Col de la Loze: Vingegaard is stronger than ever, and breakaway riders had the legs to go the distance.
Pogačar could ride Vingegaard off his wheel only within sight of the finish line to snatch back a few seconds, but someone else was already cross the line celebrating the victory.
So he held back Tuesday on Mont Ventoux — make no mistake, they’re still flying and set a new record climbing record up the giant of Provence — but he didn’t blow up the race either.
Two iconic summits escaped him, but a fourth yellow jersey is now just one more mountain stage away.
Applying pressure by not attacking
By starting in the pole position Thursday, the pressure was on Visma-Lease a Bike to try to crack him.
Rather than to fall into the trap that caught him out in 2022 over the Col du Galibier, when he was recklessly marking acceleration after acceleration, the only wheel Pogačar had to worry about was Vingegaard’s.
UAE’s new discipline to not attack neutralized any Visma plans of isolating Pogačar and attacking his flanks.
UAE did its part as well, and piled on with Adam Yates and Jhonathan Narváez to put Visma on the defensive on the final climb.
“In the end, everything was under control. We did a super good job with the team,” Pogačar said. “Let’s hope that I have the same tomorrow and I can fight, because probably they will try again tomorrow.”
Another historic Tour de France milestone for Tadej Pogacar. #TDF2025 pic.twitter.com/JB43bvEsfG
— NBC Sports Cycling (@NBCSCycling) July 23, 2025
The Col de la Loze was where Vingegaard cracked him in 2023, and Pogačar called over the race radio, “I’m dead, I’m dead!”
This year’s course tackled the “easy” side of the climb, so Pogačar is already plotting a revenge.
“This side of the Col de la Loze is easier than the one we did in 2023, that was much worse,” he said. “Whenever we climb that side again, I’ll definitely go for the win.”
If there’s a chance, you can bet the house that Pogačar will attack to win the stage. No gifts isn’t a philosophy that changes overnight.
Paris within sight: ‘3 days to go’
Not winning at Ventoux or Col de la Loze won’t matter when he rolls into Paris on Sunday with a likely fourth yellow jersey all but in the bag.
Friday’s finale up La Plagne and the tricky final stage over Montmartre might be two more chances to add another cherry to the cake.
What matters now is securing yellow and riding to Paris draped in yellow.
“No, it’s not over yet. It’s still three days to go,” Pogačar said. “I will just try my best tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after, to keep my lead.”
Victory Sunday will put Pogačar on the cusp of history. Only one rider — Chris Froome — won four yellow jerseys without winning a fifth.