The relentless pace set by the squad on Tuesday did more than just platform ’s stage winning attack: it devastated many big names in the .
Several key riders found themselves dealing with big time losses after stage 4 of the race, cracking on the Col du Galibier and conceding time in the first serious day in the mountains.
Overnight race leader was one of the biggest casualties, slipping back early on and trailing in only 32nd, 5:10 back.
The EF Education–EasyPost rider received the backing of teammate Ben Healy in the chase but tumbled from first to 22nd overall, his yellow jersey and any GC hope gone.
Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) was another surprise, losing 11:44 after cracking early on. He had spoken earlier this year of wanting to chase a high overall result; that ambition is now over.
Dropping Seconds and Minutes
Pogacar’s Galibier surge and lightning descent opened solid time over every other rider in the field. Defending champion (Visma–Lease a Bike) handled his rival’s acceleration best, fighting to hold his wheel for several hundred meters and then going over the summit several seconds back.
However he yielded further ground on the descent, likely still nervous after his crash in April, and was caught by several others before the finish in Valloire.
(Soudal Quick-Step), who had started the day level on time with Carapaz, Pogačar and Vingegaard, was also there and won the sprint to the line, 35 seconds back. That earned him second place on the stage and ensured he ended the day second overall.
(Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) also finished in this group, a good turnaround after cracking on the climb but recouping time on the descent.
“That was enough. I am satisfied with today,” he said to RTV Slovenija, while admitting his form is not where he expected it to be.
“In the climb, I was battling with myself. Tadej set the pace, which was clearly the best thing for him.”
Still, he believes he can and will do more in this Tour. “I’m slowly getting better, I’m still here.”
Vingegaard and Ineos Grenadiers leader were fifth and sixth, conceding a further two seconds to the Evenepoel/Roglic group when a gap opened just before the line.
The latter is now his team’s undisputed leader, as both Geraint Thomas and Egan Bernal finished 2:42 behind.
They won the race in 2018 and 2019 respectively, but unless one or both can regain significant time in a breakaway, they will be backing Rodríguez for the remainder of the race.
After going in with four possible leaders, Ineos Grenadiers is down to one.
Jorgenson, Yates Under Pressure
The devastation handed out by UAE Team Emirates put other big names in the red.
Decathlon Ag2r La Mondiale leader Felix Gall also finished in the Thomas-Bernal group. American rider was similarly present.
Jorgenson, winner of Paris-Nice and second overall to Roglič in the Critérium du Dauphiné, was seen as a possible GC alternative if Vingegaard lacked fitness after his Itzulia crash.
He will now be fully committed to the resurgent Danish rider.
Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) also finished in this selection. The Briton was third overall last year despite having ridden for Pogacar.
Some felt he could podium again after a dominant ride in the Tour de Suisse, but instead he is almost three and a half minutes adrift after four stages.
That’s down to an off day but his team boss Mauro Gianetti told Velo’s Andrew Hood after the finish that UAE Team Emirates still had a big day in the saddle.
“The plan was to see the level of each team, not only the leader of the team,” . “We wanted to see how many riders of each team could be at the top of the Galibier.
“The three leaders of Red Bull, the leaders of Ineos, and at Visma,” Gianetti said. “We put a very big pace to push.”
The goal was completely successful.
With Alesandr Vlasov and Jai Hindley losing 3:05 and 4:01 respectively, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe was another team which saw GC options reduced to just one rider.
They, Ineos Grenadiers and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have now just one contender each in the GC, with plan B’s and C’s out the window, barring a big breakaway comeback.
It was a day to remember for UAE Team Emirates in eliminating so many rivals. They will welcome that Tuesday evening, and so too the fact that Evenepoel and Vingegaard are the only riders who remain within a minute of Pogačar.
It may be only day four of the Tour but already all of the Slovenian’s rivals have a mountain to climb.