Tadej Pogačar

Jonas Vingegaard waited for Tadej Pogačar after a last-descent crash and then widened his grip on the yellow jersey.

Rather than keep pressing the action, the yellow jersey soft-pedaled until his direct GC rival was able to regain contact.

It is happening again.

McNulty's comments reveal Pogačar didn't have the legs to attack Vingegaard on the final climb.

This isn't a confident Pogačar, but it is a determined one.

Thursday's 18th stage features two hors catégorie climbs, including the summit finish on Hautacam, with a first category slope sandwiched in between.

Catch up on the action from another huge day in the mountains.

The Dane will need to stand up to one more serious challenge from Pogačar.

'They made the race incredibly hard today. If you see the time gaps in the GC it's kind of crazy,' says Jumbo-Visma DS.

The defending champion hasn't landed a single blow on Jonas Vingegaard and has just two days to realistically crack him.

UAE Team Emirates is down to four riders after Majka succumbs to injury sustained in stage 16 mechanical.

The American helped pace Tadej Pogačar for most of the final 30 kilometers, setting up the Slovenian for the stage victory.

'What we did today, Mikkel Bjerg first and Brandon McNulty afterwards, was something exceptional,' says team boss Mauro Gianetti.

Adam Yates and Tom Pidcock drop down the overall standings as Romain Bardet bounces back to sixth overall.

Brandon McNulty rode at the front to blow up the peloton and crossed the line third to win the most combative prize.

Rejigged prime system and aggressive racing by breakaway riders change dynamics of best climber's competition.

The Colombian climber confirmed he's back in top shape after taking antibiotics to step back into key helper role just in time for the Pyrénées.

UAE Emirates on the ropes after loss of fourth rider as pressure mounts on Tadej Pogačar; Tim Wellens latest to leave with COVID-19.

The 'wild west' feel of the Pyrénées serves up the unpredictability and explosiveness the waning days of a thrilling Tour deserves.

Wednesday's 17th stage features three first-category climbs, including a steep ramp to the day’s summit finish.

Catch up on the action from an aggressive stage in the Pyrenees.

'I know Pogačar will attack me so every day is about trying to follow him and not leaving any gaps,' says yellow jersey.

Opportunities for Pogačar are running out, but he can still inflict damage.

Vingegaard surfs through the first day in the Pyrenees as UAE Team Emirates lose another rider.

Kuss delivers crushing ride on road to Foix as he carries burden of shepherding Vingegard through two mountaintops to come.

The Spaniard missed the time cut by 15 minutes after vomiting several times during the stage.

Six of the top-10 placings changed in the first of three climbing stages in the Pyrénées.

The Canadian wins the attack-riddled 16th stage across the French Pyrénées while Jonas Vingegaard fends off Tadej Pogačar.

'I don't know if Vingegaard will crack but every rider can have a bad day,' says former winner.

Pogačar looked unbeatable until he fell into the trap set by Jumbo-Visma that turned the Tour de France upside down last week.

We look at the power numbers of Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogačar, Sepp Kuss, Matteo Jorgenson, and more at the Tour de France.

Pogačar says Ineos Grenadiers appears to be 'racing for the podium' but hopes the attacks will come against Jonas Vinegaaard: 'He is the favorite to win.'

The 2018 Tour winner is having his best Tour in years and enters the final week with everything in play: 'You've got to keep believing.'

Tuesday's 16th stage features two first-category climbs in the second half of the route that will be punctuated once again by blazing heat.

Jumbo-Visma leads among 22 teams with the lion's share of prize money to be awarded Sunday in Paris.

'I’m more looking ahead but you have to be aware of what’s behind you,' Welshman tells VeloNews.

'All these stupid mistakes of sprinting for two seconds. Then you come to a point where you are fucked and you lose two and a half-minutes,' says former Tour de France winner.

Jumbo-Visma rider talks of his respect for rival and how he expects to come under attack in the Pyrenees.

'Pogačar came to me and said Jumbo are struggling, they’re struggling,' says Thomas.

Pogačar uncorks early attack in test of Jumbo-Visma's ability to defend: 'In the end, I know how good each one of them is.'

'I think that we expected that sort of gap on that sort of climb,' Ellingworth tells VeloNews.

Making sense of Pogačar’s loss of innocence, what it means for the Tour and exploring why fans like champions more when they fail.

The breakaway has its day in Saint-Étienne.

The final climb is steep enough to cause problems for anyone not having a great day.

'Last year we were in a different position but it’s a different race and every year is different. We’re here to fight,' says American climber.

Ineos Grenadiers director confident Thomas 'one of the best we've ever seen' as team counts on his experience in a Gen-Z race.

Team manager Joxean Fernández Matxin leaves race due to virus.

A thrilling victory atop Alpe d'Huez only raises expectations about Pidcock's grand tour future. His coach says 'we are going to see his limits.'

Sport director explains how the trap was set on the Col du Galibier to isolate and attack Tadej Pogačar.

Pogačar was looking for revenge. He did not find it.

The peloton tackles Alpe d’Huez on Bastille Day.

Vingegaard parries Pogačar's attacks on the Alpe in day one of daunting nine-stage mission to defend yellow jersey.

'I compare myself to Pogačar to Wout, these guys, they are both older than me, and more experienced. But I am ambitious and I have big ambitions,' says British rider.

Yellow jersey Jonas Vingegaard raises the fear of COVID, but fans and riders celebrate the return of the Tour's most famous climb.

UAE Team Emirates team manager Matxin Fernandez tested positive overnight and has left the Tour de France.

Sepp Kuss leads Jumbo-Visma lockdown on Alpe d'Huez summit as Jumbo-Visma switches gears from explosive ride to the Granon.

Pogačar can't shake Jonas Vingegaard on Alpe d'Huez: 'His team is very strong.'

UAE's Gianetti says it wasn't hunger or heat.

The Ineos Grenadiers rider soars away from the breakaway to take biggest road victory of his career.

Team boss points to over-aggressive racing and commitment to yellow rather than COVID or a hunger knock as cause of Wednesday's spectacular undoing.

The Slovenian dropped out of the yellow jersey on stage 11 and now trails Vingegaard by two and a half minutes.

Three hors categorie climbs on the menu, culminating in a crowd-packed Tour favorite. Will Vingegaard add to his lead, can Pogačar hit back, or might Bardet surprise again?

'There's a big question over how Vingegaard will cope now that he has a big target on his back,' says Dan Martin in his exclusive column for VeloNews.

Watch back on the day's action here.

Fireworks on the legendary climb confirm that a new generation has forever buried the tactics of controlled racing.

'We’ll see. I’ll keep fighting until the end. The Tour is far from finished,' says the defending champion.

Two-time Tour de France champion cannot follow as Jumbo-Visma breaks open the race.

The Slovenian is distanced after Jonas Vingegaard launches stinging attack on the Col du Granon.

Tadej Pogačar counters after Jumbo-Visma attacks on the approach to the Galibier in a preview of GC fireworks in the French Alps.

Another likened the halting to when you stop at a cafe and then get going again.

Nobody, that's who.

'“If the doctor and the UCI say that he can start then I suppose they know what they’re doing,' says Pogačar's team boss.

German rider left just 11 seconds off the yellow jersey

Watch the best of the action on a day when dogged persistence prevailed

Stage 11 features monster climbs Galibier and Granon stacked up in the final 50km that will test the GC riders to their limits.

Pogačar points to huge crowds and mass contacts as problem after Bennett, Majka tested positive Tuesday.

Lennard Kämna comes close to yellow jersey but Tadej Pogačar defends lead by 11 seconds.

Tour rookie says Ineos Grenadiers must be tactical in its numbers because 'we are not racing crap riders' at Tour de France.

The Dutchman says that the stage he's fearing the most is the stage 12 summit finish on Alpe d'Huez.

UPDATED: UAE Team Emirates sees its second rider leave the Tour de France with COVID-19, Majka positive but stays for now.