00:00Tadej Pogacar seized control of the Dauphiné yesterday, outclassing his rivals Jonas Vingegaer
00:06and Remko Evenepoel on the first proper mountain test.
00:09Today we head over some of France's most iconic climbs in a blockbuster Queen stage,
00:14which could enable the Slovenian to tighten his grip on yellow and blue.
00:18Today is a proper mountain stage, proper tour stage and we'll see what will happen.
00:27We can be prepared for a very aggressive Col de la Madeleine and then we will see on the
00:34top what will be the situation like but I think it's going to be already fireworks on
00:38the first climb in my opinion.
00:40Will Vingegaer acknowledge Pogacar's superiority on the road to Convlu yesterday but insist
00:45the race isn't over just yet?
00:48I think I did a pretty good performance so far and I think Tadej was just stronger yesterday
00:54and I have to accept it.
00:56I mean I'm still here to try to go for the win and yeah, I still think that my shape
01:01is good and I will do everything I can absolutely.
01:03I have a plan as I said and you will see what the plan will be.
01:08Evenepoel is also looking to bounce back in his bid to finish on the overall podium.
01:14We have to turn the page I think cycling nowadays or even in the past it's just day by day you
01:19can have good days switched off with better days, with bad days.
01:25So yeah, today is a new day, completely different stage so another shot.
01:31The breakaways' hopes of a stage win either today or tomorrow will no doubt be dictated
01:36by the GC battle.
01:37I think everything depends on Visma's strategy.
01:42I can't see them not reacting and they're used to stages like this.
01:46This is where they thrive and they've got a strong team of climbers.
01:49I can see them sending a Kuss or a Jorgensen up the road and if they do, the breakaway won't
01:55stand a chance.
01:57I think they're going to be playing the return leg today.
01:59Well, there's an awful lot packed into the day's 131.6 kilometres.
02:10The Col de la Madeleine, the Col de la Quadrafer and Val Menier, all of them Hors category,
02:15for a total elevation gain of 4,800 metres.
02:19As Pogacar said, this is indeed a proper mountain stage.
02:27And as Bardet predicted, Visma Lisa bike went on the attack early today, on the first climb
02:32of the Col de la Madeleine.
02:34When the live pictures began, a group of nine riders were approaching the summit of the
02:38Quadrafer, but the yellow jersey group, led by Matteo Jorgensen, was only a few seconds
02:43behind.
02:44The breakaway contained another Visma Lisa bike rider, Sepp Kuss, plus strong climbers
02:49like Bardet, Buatrago, Healy and Higuita.
02:52Well, at the summit, Buatrago pounced to take 15 points ahead of Higuita, who'd been
02:57first over the Madeleine.
02:58The two Colombians now level at the top of the mountain's classification.
03:04The riders heading into the long descent of the Quadrafer, with Bardet going on the attack.
03:11The Frenchman was being chased by a trio of Colombians, Higuita, Buatrago and his teammate
03:16Juan Martinez.
03:18Well, Bardet, a strong descender, quickly pulled around 30 seconds clear, as the three chasers
03:23were caught.
03:24The GC group did ease off a little bit, swelling to around 25 as more riders caught up.
03:31Pogacar was reunited with a teammate in Pavel Sivakov, but Evanapool was still isolated.
03:37Visma Lisa bike keeping the pressure on with Ben Tulit and Sepp Kuss, so no wonder Bardet
03:42wasn't able to build much of a gap.
03:4545 seconds, with around 20k to go, until the base of the final climb.
03:49Pogacar was clearly feeling confident.
03:52He took the liberty of popping back to the team car to fetch a bead on for Sivakov, who
03:56was now leading the group.
03:58Bardet leading the way on to Valmenier, but the peloton weren't far behind.
04:04Bruno Amiraj now on the front, with rising French star Paul Sexas on the wheel.
04:10With 13k to go, Bardet realised it was game over and said goodbye.
04:14The day's most combative rider swallowed up as Kuss attacked again.
04:22The GC group shattering as the American got a small gap, but soon it was Pogacar's turn
04:27to respond.
04:28And here goes the attack.
04:31Pogacar has decided he's had enough of the games and he now starts to go.
04:35A massive attack, the tornado strikes and Vingegaard can do nothing about it.
04:42Well, Vingegaard holding on for a few seconds, but once again he simply couldn't match the
04:47power of the world champion.
04:49Evan Appal also going backwards and watching the three riders in front of him overall pull
04:54away.
04:55Pogacar, then Vingegaard, then Lipovic.
04:57The GC podium sharpening into focus.
05:02Lipovic was briefly able to stay with Vingegaard, but the Dane eventually dropped him as he tried
05:06to limit his losses to Pogacar.
05:09The Slovenian was leading by around 20 seconds, with Lipovic at 45 and Evan Appal now at more
05:15than a minute.
05:16The gap remaining steady between the top two, but Lipovic was losing ground, as was
05:38Evan Appal in the company of Tobias Johannesson, Pogacar preparing for another celebration at
05:44the finish line.
05:46Visma had the numbers, Vingegaard had cards to play, but Pogacar doesn't play by their
05:52rules.
05:54He attacked them with 11.7 kilometers to go, and he yet again rides to the finish line
06:01alone.
06:03Hands in the air, take a bow, win number 98.
06:10Two in a row for Tadej Pogacar and a third stage win at this Dauphiné.
06:15Once again the world champion was simply in a league of his own, underlining that he
06:19is the clear favorite for this summer's Tour de France.
06:22And as he explained, today attack was the best form of defense.
06:26I mean, today we wanted to take control on all the climbs, but Visma tried with all the attacks
06:36and I was pretty happy how Pogacar was riding today and the team.
06:42So, yeah, it was sort of defense not to get attacked by everyone from Visma, so I launched
06:51it and I maintained a good pace to the top, so I was really happy that I could defend the
06:57jersey like this.
07:00Pogacar taking his tenth win of the season by just 14 seconds in the end from Vingegaard.
07:05Lipovic though a distant third at 1 minute 21, followed by Johannesson and Evan Appal.
07:10The Slovenian goes into the final stage with a lead of one minute and one second over Vingegaard.
07:16Lipovic is on course for third, with Johannesson jumping up from ninth to fifth ahead of Seksas.
07:22Pogacar has also snaffled the green jersey from Macio van der Poel.
07:27They're both on 69 points, but the world champion leads by virtue of more stage wins this week.
07:33Surprise, surprise, he's also top of the mountains classification, having led the way over more
07:38climbs than Bua Trago and Higuita, who are both on 27 points as well.
07:44Barring disaster, Lipovic will finish as the race's best young rider.
07:48He leads Evan Appal by a comfortable margin of almost two minutes.
07:55Seven down, one to go. The Dauphiné 2025 concludes tomorrow with a final mountain stage to Valsany.
08:02Join us for that on Sunday and thanks for watching.
