Tadej Pogačar brings Tour de France back to life: 'You need to have balls to attack'

UAE Team Emirates rider insists that he was not dead after stage five - a resurrecting performance proved it

Tadej Pogačar wins stage six of the Tour de France 2023
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Harold Wilson might have said that a week is a long time in politics, but at this year's Tour de France, 24 hours seems like an eternity. On Wednesday, it appeared that Jonas Vingegaard had vanquished Tadej Pogačar once again on the road to Laruns. On Thursday, the vanquished became the vanquisher as Pogačar put time into Vingegaard on the climb to Cauterets, setting up an electric race. It is only stage six.

Pogačar, the UAE Team Emirates rider, won the stage, while Vingegaard of Jumbo-Visma took the yellow jersey from Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe). However, the swing of 24 seconds back to Pogačar was significant, and proved there was a point in this Tour. On Wednesday evening the race seemed over; on Thursday evening it seems more alive than ever.

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