On returning to his bus, Pogacar displayed a purple and unusually closed face, he who usually laughs in all circumstances, even last year after his failure at Granon where Vingegaard had dethroned him.

"Yes I took a big blow on the head," admitted the Slovenian who has definitely had a bad day since his girlfriend, the rider Urska Zigart, fell in the women's Giro and "may be suffering from a concussion". "It's more important than the seconds I was able to lose today," said "Pogi", the mine defeated.

Nevertheless, he had rarely been seen as struggling as Wednesday on the slopes of Marie Blanque.

Unhooked at the first squirt of his Danish rival, he dragged his misery to the top of the pass, before tipping over in the descent to Laruns with the American Sepp Kuss, the sherpa of Vingegaard, clinging to his wheel like a leech.

Tadej Pogacar in difficulty in the Col de Marie Blanque during the 5th stage of the Tour de France on July 5, 2023. The two-time winner of the Tour in 2020 and 2021 lost a minute on Jonas Vingegaard, who dethroned him last © year Marco BERTORELLO / AFP / Archives

In the end, the winner of 2020 and 2021 cut the line more than a minute behind Vingegaard. Overall, he already has 53 seconds of displacements on the defending champion, second behind Jai Hindley, stage winner and new yellow jersey.

Vingegaard "surprised"

"I admit that I myself am surprised," said Vingegaard, surprised that Pogacar did not manage to follow him. Especially since the Dane had judged that this stage, difficult but not insurmountable, did not really suit him, he who prefers to play wear in the very long passes.

"But in the last climb I felt I had really good legs. I told Sepp (Kuss) to go ahead, and I attacked," he said. "Jonas was really strong at making such a difference," Sepp Kuss told AFP, front-row to see the damage.

Vingegaard's coup validated Jumbo-Visma's strategy, which placed three riders in the morning royal breakaway in which Jai Hindley had managed to slip in.

The plan went perfectly and it was timely for the Dutch team after a turbulent start to the Tour, marked by Wout Van Aert's outbursts of anger and his alleged rivalry with Vingegaard.

"A lot of people have spoken. But today we showed the true state of mind that drives the team. Wout had no chance of winning this stage and he gave everything for Jonas. I think the answer is clear," insisted sporting director Merijn Zeeman.

For UAE, however, it is a day to forget since Adam Yates, "the Sepp Kuss of Pogacar", in addition to having given up his yellow jersey, was of no use to his leader in Marie Blanque.

Pogacar bets on the third week

This is necessarily worrying for the rest which passes from Thursday by a second stage in the Pyrenees, with in particular the Tourmalet on the program.

"We don't lose hope," said UAE manager Mauro Gianetti. The goal is always to win the Tour. Vingegaard was very strong today but Tadej can improve. There are two and a half weeks left. You have to stay positive."

Tadej Pogacar at the finish of the 5th stage of the Tour de France, run on July 5, 2023 between Pau and Laruns © Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP/Archives

For lack of anything better, Pogacar is banking on a revving up over the Tour, after seeing his preparation disrupted by a fracture in his left wrist during Liège-Bastogne-Liège on April 23.

"I started training again a bit late this year so I should feel good in the last week normally. We will continue to fight, all is not lost," he said.

In the meantime, we will also have to be wary of Jai Hindley.

Jai Hindley at the finish of the 5th stage of the Tour de France, on July 5, 2023 in Laruns: the Australian from the Bora-Hansgrohe made a double blow, winning the stage and settling at the top of the general © classification Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP / Archives

The left-hander from Perth, who only discovers the Tour, is a rider little known to the general public. But he is a class climber who is not afraid of the three-week distance, as he proved in his victory in the Giro last year.

Having cemented his status as a podium contender – he is almost two minutes ahead of riders like Frenchman David Gaudu – he could even see further.

Jai Hindley took the lead in the general classification of the Tour de France at the end of the 5th stage, on July 5, 2023 between Pau and Laruns. The Australian of the Bora-Hansgrohe, little known to the general public, already has a grand tour to his credit, the Giro in 2022 © Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP / Archives

"We take it very seriously," Zeeman promised.

© 2023 AFP