Tour de France 2023: Jai Hindley slips to third as Tadej Pogacar dominates stage six
An extended ride up the highest peak of the Tour de France to date proved tricky for Jai Hindley, who had the yellow jersey snatched from his grasp. But there’s a silver lining for the Aussie.
Two days in the majestic Pyrenean mountains and we are witnessing one of the great Tours de France.
As they say in the classics – buckle up because we’re in for one hell of a ride.
Stage 5 saw the emergence of Jai Hindley (Bora hansgrohe) as a serious Tour de France contender and stage 6 saw the redemption of Slovenian Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates), who sent a strong message out to all doubters - the two times Tour de France winner is far from a spent force.
For most of the day the Jumbo-Visma squad looked in control.
They sent the Belgian superstar Wout van Aert up the road in the early break and then the race split apart on the Tour’s highest mountain, the Col du Tourmalet, with 50km remaining.
American Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) set a sizzling pace and then Dane Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) launched of the front and Hindley could not match the brutal attack.
But none of the other contenders could handle the scintillating pace either and only Pogacar could follow - and even he looked under pressure.
The short 144km stage 6 to the summit of Cauterets-Cambasque was action packed and Team Jumbo-Visma had a plan to put Pogacar under pressure.
With Vingegaard racing a minute clear of the Slovenian on stage 5, it was obvious they could smell the blood in the water.
But the race was turned on its head in the final 4km when Pogacar showed he is the ultimate poker player and burst clear of the Dane to snare his 10th Tour stage win and claw back nearly half his deficit.
“I’m really happy to have just one stage win, you can’t get cocky,” said the 24-year-old Pogacar.
“When Jumbo started pulling I was ready to pack my bags and go home.
“Wout (van Aert) goes faster than the race chief’s car.
“But I played it smart and told myself I mustn’t give up, at that point I just held on.”
Vingegaard is now in yellow but he would be nervous.
After stage 5 he looked in control but now it is very much game on.
“This is an exciting Tour de France,” Vingegaard said after the stage.
“The first six days have been hard, the start in the Basque Country has made it amazing.
“First of all I’m happy to be back in the yellow jersey.
“Tadej was just stronger today and he deserved to win.”
One interested onlooker was Emmanuel Macron, the French president joining Tour director Christian Prudhomme in the car following the race leaders.
Hindley may have only had the one day in the yellow jersey but he was strong.
He has dropped to third overall but he is still clearly in the mix, not just for a podium finish but a chance for final victory.
Hindley has proven that he is always strongest in the final week of a three week Grand Tour and Vingegaard and Pogacar will know this.
Until wearing yellow on stage 6, despite finishing second overall and then winning the Giro d’Italia, Hindley had never worn the leader’s jersey in a road stage among his peers.
“Yeah pretty sweet,” he said when reminded of the fact.
“I’ve had the Maglia Rosa twice but I’ve only ridden it for 30km or so in time trials, so no I’ve never worn it in the bunch so I’m looking forward to it wearing this prestigious jersey.
“It’s massive and it’s super emotional – it’s the stuff of dreams and when you think back to when you’re a kid that maybe one day you could wear the yellow jersey and today it’s happening.
“I can’t quite believe it mate but I’m sure one day I will.”
At the last Giro, Hindley gave us the line: “I’m not here to put socks on centipedes.”
Before stage 6 he gave another: “I’m not here to lick postage stamps.”
Don’t think anyone has licked a postage stamp in a while, but we get the message.
Hindley became the eighth Australian to wear the most iconic jersey in cycling.
Phil Anderson was the first non-European to wear the coveted Golden Fleece, then Stuart O’Grady, Cadel Evans, Robbie McEwen, Brad McGee, Simon Gerrans and Rohan Dennis.
Of that illustrious group only Anderson and Evans ever challenged for overall victory.
Cadel became our only winner in 2011 and then Richie Porte became the second Aussie to stand on the podium taking third overall in 2020.
Australia’s World Tour Team Jayco AlUla remains prominent at the front of the race.
Team leader Simon Yates is sitting in fourth place and looking good for a podium place in Paris.
Once the Tour heads out of the mountains, the team’s strategy changes to keeping the race close together for sprint specialist Dylan Groenewegen.
The Dutchman hasn’t produced the sparkling speed he is known for but remains one of the favourites to salute the judge over the next two weeks.
Stage seven on Friday takes the Tour away from the Pyrenees and through the world-renowned vineyards of the Bordeaux region.
There is a 2km long pancake flat home-straight guaranteeing a mass bunch sprint finish at Bordeaux where British sprinter Mark Cavendish could write a chapter of his own by claiming a record-breaking 35th stage win.
- John Trevorrow is travelling with Team Jayco Alula
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