“This week everything is decided”

Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, the two candidates to win the Tour de France 2025.

Photo: EFE – MARTIN DIVISEK

The second week of the Tour de France starts with strategic tension among the favorites. Tadej Pogacar, second in the general, Remco Evenepoel, third, and Jonas Vingegaard, fourth, are preparing for three high mountain stages and a chrono -scalled that could define the fate of the yellow jersey.

Although Ben Healy leads the classification, the three favorites know that the true fight in Paris begins now.

Pogacar already demonstrated his good way

Pogacar arrives confident after a solid first week, despite the decline of his squire Joao Almeida. “My rivals are behind, it is they who will have to attack,” said the Slovenian.

The triple Tour champion considers that his team has demonstrated solidity even amid difficulties. “We show our strength despite the casualty of Joao and that Pavel Sivakov is a little sick. We are ready to fight in the mountain,” he said.

The title defender emphasized the importance of the next few days: “This second week will be quite decisive. There will be three very hard high mountain days and a counterreloj in the middle. They will not be days for large getaways, it will be as hard as any other week.”

In particular, Pogacar points to the chrono -scarce of Peyragudes as one of the key points for his aspirations.

Evenepoel and Vingegaard want to challenge the world's favoritism

Since third position, Evenepoel has opted for a more relaxed approach. On the rest day in Toulouse, he was the only one of the three favorites offered by a press conference. “The explanation will be because they recover better … or because they have a better press manager,” he joked.

However, the Belgian did not lose his focus. “The balance is good. We have won three stages with the team, I am third in the general and I continue with options.”

Evenepoel acknowledged that Pogacar has won “more time we expected.” However, he was optimistic: “It could have been worse.”

Before the mountain, his tactic is clear: “I think I will let them play. When I launched my attack yesterday, they were still. It is a good sign. We are convenient for us to focus on others and not on us.”

The Belgian, champion of return 2022, reiterated his ambition to compete with the best. “Pogacar and Vingegaard are my references. My professional goal is to achieve at least that level. To win a stage, I will have a spectacular day. That is something that you always have to desire.”

Meanwhile, Jonas Vingegaard, room in the general, also finds reasons for optimism. Although Pogacar is 1:17, he highlighted his ability to stay at his wheel at the end of the tenth stage: “Neither today nor has he managed to let go. I was by his side, something that I was not able to do in the Dauphiné. That shows that I am at a better level.”

Winner of the 2022 and 2023 editions of the Tour, the Danish trust in his physical form and in the work of his team visma. “It has been another difficult day, very hot, but I have found myself well. My partner Simon Yates won the stage, which is also a positive sign for us.”

The duel between Pogacar and Vingegaard seems to reactivate just at the decisive moment. But with Evenepoel only one minute of the Slovenian and prepared to launch attacks, the second week promises to redefine positions.

Meanwhile, leader Ben Healy – just this battle of Titans – will be observed with magnifying glass, to see how much can resist at the top.

Stage 11 of this Wednesday, with departure and arrival in Toulouse, will be the first assault. With five ports in the last 50 kilometers and the explosive Pech David wall only eight from the finish line, it is a perfect trap for tactical movements and surprises. The tour is open.

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