Pogacar returns to battle today at Peyragudes, in the second battle of the Pyrenees

After the annulment of the triptych’s first attack of Pyreneesthis Wednesday the survivors of Tour de France face a new hard day in the mountains. There are two characteristics that define this stage. On the one hand, its short mileage, only 129.7 kilometers, and on the other hand, the presence of four important mountain passes –all 2nd and 1st category– concentrated in the last 64 kilometers, with the final climb to the colossus of Peyragudes8 kilometers of climbing at an average gradient of 7.8%, followed by Col de Val Louron-Azet (10.7km at 6.8%). A mileage that will add tension, excitement and speed to what will be a very busy day.

The stage profile presents plenty of opportunities for riders called on to do great things in the Tour to move, attack, and among them a Tadej Pogacar that he had to overcome the 2’22” that the race leader was taking from him, jonas vingegaard. This Monday, in contact with the Pyrenees, the Slovenian, double winner of Tour de France, 2021 and 2022, he returned to measure his forces with the Dane and he barely moved. The Slovenian’s time is running out and now he has an opportunity that he must seize; as runners aiming for a podium closing Welshman should also take advantage of it Geraint Thomas or the epic victory that came at such a high price in the last part of the Tour.

And among them may be one of the eight surviving Spanish cyclists in the race, of the nine that started in Denmark after withdrawal of Mark Soler. If Movistar moved the race yesterday, today it has a double reason to do it again. Tuesday’s double attack was unsuccessful, both in escaping jorgenson as in striking moreand upon the Tour’s first arrival at the ski resort of high pyrenees (1,580 meters) the victory went to Alexander Valverdewho achieved his fourth partial victory in the Tour de France, with a margin of 19 seconds over Chris Froome Y Bradley Wiggins.