Pogacar will now try to light the fuse in Hautacam, the last firework of the Pyrenees

Four seconds and for the bonus on Peyragudes They were able to reduce this Wednesday Pogacar to the leader Vingegaard in the first two high mountain stages in the Pyrenees. The Slovenian knows that if he wants to aim to win his third Tour de France yes or yes, he should subtract an important difference from the Dane this Thursday in the 18th stage, because the rider from Jumbo-Visma he can defend himself well in the individual time trial on Saturday.

On the map, the profile of the h day this Thursday, the last of the hard triptych of the Pyrenees, has a lot of cut material and is similar to the previous one, but with nuances and more hardness.

In the first few 50 flat kilometers that gradually increase in height, until facing a mountain triptych that brings it to them, with the first port of a special category (the famous Aubisque16.4 km at 7.1%), followed by Cabbage spandelles (1st, 10.3 km at 8.3%), before facing the last decisive climb hautacam (13.6 km to 7.8).

Another short and explosive day, with a head in between expected Vingegaard Y Pogacar and where the key is to know if Tadej can be supported as yesterday by a colleague, due to the lack of troops in the UAE, with only four units and only McNulty trained to help you when the road looks.

Five stages of the Tour ended at the top of the long climb to the station that stands at Lourdes. Luc Leblanc first made his mark here in 1994, according to the Tour’s website, just before winning the World Championship in Sicily. Hautacam also proved to be a turning point in Cadel Evans’ career in 2008, when he took the overall reins for the first time by passing Fränk Schleck by just one second, three years before his final assignment in Paris. In 2014, Vincenzo Nibali’s recital reached its highest expression in Hautacam when he won his fourth stage victory, two days before the end of sealing his great Tour victory in Paris.