Pogačar Rules the Heights as Rivals Fall Short on Dauphiné’s Queen Stage 7

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Slovenian champion strikes decisive blow on climb to Valmeinier 1800, putting rivals at distance with one stage remaining

VALMEINIER 1800, France — The question was never if Tadej Pogačar would attack on Saturday’s queen stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné. The only mystery was when.

“Why wait?” the world champion replied when asked about his tactical approach, a philosophy that has served him well throughout a season already marked by 10 victories.

On a brutal day that took the peloton over three hors catégorie climbs and 4,800 meters of elevation gain, Pogačar didn’t wait. With 12 kilometers remaining on the final ascent to Valmeinier 1800, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG leader launched the decisive attack that would net him his third stage victory of this Dauphiné and extend his overall lead to 1 minute, 1 second over Jonas Vingegaard.

The stage had been billed as the ultimate showdown between cycling’s three biggest names — Pogačar, Vingegaard, and Remco Evenepoel — but the Slovenian had already struck a major blow the day before with his victory in Combloux. Saturday’s 131.6-kilometer journey from Grand-Aigueblanche would only confirm his supremacy.

Early Fireworks on La Madeleine

From the moment the 135-man peloton rolled out at noon, the racing was fierce. The first major climb, the Col de la Madeleine, immediately triggered aggressive moves as teams positioned themselves for what everyone knew would be a day of selection.

14/06/2025 – Critérium du Dauphiné 2025 – Étape 7 – Grand-Aigueblanche / Valmeinier 1800 (131,6 km) – Victor CAMPENAERTS (TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE) © A.S.O./Tony Esnault

Visma-Lease a Bike, Vingegaard’s squad, showed their intentions early. Victor Campenaerts fired the opening salvo, followed by attempts from Matteo Jorgenson. Eventually, it was Sepp Kuss who managed to slip away in what would become a 15-man breakaway group.

The escape included notable names: Valentin Paret-Peintre of Soudal Quick-Step and Bruno Armirail of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale took the initial lead from kilometer 8, eventually joined by a who’s who of climbing talent including Santiago Buitrago, Sergio Higuita, Ben Healy, and veteran French climber Romain Bardet.

Behind them, Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates-XRG controlled the pace with clinical precision, never allowing the gap to grow beyond manageable proportions.

The Race Explodes at La Croix de Fer

The intensity reached another level on the Col de la Croix de Fer, the second hors catégorie ascent of the day. Here, Visma-Lease a Bike showed their hand, brutally lifting the pace in an attempt to isolate Pogačar from his teammates and put pressure on the race leader.

The Dutch team’s aggressive tactics had their intended effect. The acceleration forced the breakaway to respond, while behind, the peloton began to fracture under the relentless pace. Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet managed to bridge from the main group to the leaders, but others weren’t so fortunate as Paret-Peintre was among those dropped.

At the summit, Buitrago crested first from the break, but more importantly, the general classification group had been whittled down to just eight riders: Jorgenson led over a reduced group featuring the main protagonists — Vingegaard, Pogačar, Evenepoel, Maxim Van Gils, Florian Lipowitz, Tobias Johannessen, and the impressive French teenager Paul Seixas.

The gap to the leaders had shrunk to just 18 seconds. The stage was set for the final act.

Bardet’s Moment of Glory

On the descent toward Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, romance briefly entered the equation. Romain Bardet, the veteran French climber, accelerated away from the breakaway in a move that seemed equal parts tactical and sentimental.

14/06/2025 – Critérium du Dauphiné 2025 – Étape 7 – Grand-Aigueblanche / Valmeinier 1800 (131,6 km) – Romain BARDET (TEAM PICNIC POSTNL) © A.S.O./Tony Esnault

“I don’t know if it was panache, I think it was more of a desperate move,” Bardet would later reflect. “But when you can enjoy yourself, you have to seize these moments.”

For Bardet, passing through Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne held special significance — it was here in 2015 that he claimed his first Tour de France stage victory. The 34-year-old carved out a 35-second advantage at the base of the final climb, providing a stirring subplot as the race entered its crucial phase.

14/06/2025 – Critérium du Dauphiné 2025 – Étape 7 – Grand-Aigueblanche / Valmeinier 1800 (131,6 km) – Romain BARDET (TEAM PICNIC POSTNL) © A.S.O./Tony Esnault

“To pass alone in the lead at Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne meant a lot to me,” Bardet said. “Being at the front of the race was also a way of thanking everyone for the affection I’ve received, both this week and over many years.”

The Decisive Moment

Pavel Sivakov, Pogačar’s key lieutenant, had returned from earlier duties to control the gap to Bardet as the race hit the lower slopes of Valmeinier 1800. The French climber’s romantic escape was caught with 13 kilometers to go, setting up the final confrontation between the race’s protagonists.

Kuss tried an attack. Sivakov covered it. Then, with 12 kilometers remaining and the gradient biting, Pogačar made his move.

It was, as he would later describe it, “a form of defence.”

“I didn’t necessarily need to take loads of time today,” Pogačar explained. “Attacking was a form of defence and then I just tried to pace myself to the top and ease up in the last kilometres.”

14/06/2025 – Critérium du Dauphiné 2025 – Étape 7 – Grand-Aigueblanche / Valmeinier 1800 (131,6 km) – Tadej POGACAR (UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG), Jonas VINGEGAARD (TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE), Remco EVENEPOEL (SOUDAL QUICK-STEP) – Col de la Croix de Fer © A.S.O./Tony Esnault

Vingegaard, yesterday’s best of the beaten according to race observers, attempted to respond. The Danish champion had been identified as the rider most likely to challenge Pogačar on the longer, high-altitude climbs — exactly the terrain they now faced. Lipowitz tucked in behind the Visma leader, hoping to benefit from any acceleration.

But the slope, as Pogačar noted, “puts everyone in their place.”

The Reckoning

What followed was a masterclass in controlled aggression. Pogačar, riding in the yellow and blue jersey of general classification leader, steadily extended his advantage over the chasing group. Behind him, Vingegaard dug deep but couldn’t match the pace, while Lipowitz held on grimly for what would become third place on the stage.

14/06/2025 – Critérium du Dauphiné 2025 – Étape 7 – Grand-Aigueblanche / Valmeinier 1800 (131,6 km) – Tadej POGACAR (UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG) © A.S.O./Tony Esnault

“I felt really strong but I also didn’t want to go too deep on a super hot and long climb,” Pogačar said of his approach on the final ascent.

14/06/2025 – Critérium du Dauphiné 2025 – Étape 7 – Grand-Aigueblanche / Valmeinier 1800 (131,6 km) – Tadej POGACAR (UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG) © A.S.O./Tony Esnault

With one kilometer to go, Vingegaard trailed by 30 seconds. At the line, that gap had been reduced to 14 seconds, but the damage was done. Pogačar celebrated his 98th professional victory — just two shy of the century mark — while extending his overall lead to more than a minute.

14/06/2025 – Critérium du Dauphiné 2025 – Étape 7 – Grand-Aigueblanche / Valmeinier 1800 (131,6 km) – Tadej POGACAR (UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG) © A.S.O./Tony Esnault

Lipowitz, the young German climber, completed the podium at 1:21, a result that left him pleased despite the suffering.

14/06/2025 – Critérium du Dauphiné 2025 – Étape 7 – Grand-Aigueblanche / Valmeinier 1800 (131,6 km) – Tadej POGACAR (UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG) – vainquer de l’étape – © A.S.O./Tony Esnault

“It was a super hard day from the start again,” Lipowitz said. “I was really happy with my legs again and with the way we raced as a team. I paced myself on the last climb. I suffered a lot in the last five kilometres and I was really happy when I saw the last kilometre mark.”

Johannessen finished fourth at 2:26, with Evenepoel rounding out the top five at 2:39 — a disappointing result for the Belgian, who had been expected to challenge for the stage victory.

Looking Ahead

With one stage remaining — another mountain test to Val-Cenis — Pogačar sits in a commanding position. The question now is whether he can reach that symbolic 100th victory on the final day.

“So far, so good. But let’s arrive tomorrow,” he said with characteristic understatement.

For Vingegaard, the task is clear but daunting. At 43 seconds behind in the overall standings, the Dane’s “only chance of victory is said to lie in the longer climbs at high altitude.” Tomorrow’s final stage will provide one last opportunity, but Pogačar’s dominance has been so complete that even his rivals seem resigned to their fate.

Lipowitz, meanwhile, dares to dream of a podium finish in his first Dauphiné.

“Finishing on the podium of the Critérium du Dauphiné would be incredible but tomorrow is another really hard day,” he said. “So far, I don’t really think about the Tour. I really focus on this race and then we still have a bit of time to get ready.”

The stage also provided encouragement for French cycling fans, with 18-year-old Paul Seixas making his way into the provisional top 10 in eighth place overall. Today’s challenge provided further insight into the teenager’s considerable potential.

As for Bardet, the veteran climber found satisfaction in his spirited effort, even as the victory ultimately eluded the breakaway.

“With my current level, I couldn’t have done much more in this Dauphiné, but I like the way I gave it my all,” he said. “I’ve never raced to be on the podium, it’s more of a personal quest. In any case, I feel good about what I achieved today, and I’ll feel good on Monday morning too.”

With the general classification battle all but decided, Sunday’s final stage to Val-Cenis looms as an opportunity for Pogačar to add to his victory tally while his rivals try to salvage what they can from a race that has been thoroughly dominated by the world champion.

The Slovenian’s approach — why wait? — has once again proven devastatingly effective.


Stage 7 Results

Rank Rider Team Time Gap Bonus
1 Tadej Pogačar UAE Team Emirates XRG 4:10:00 10″
2 Jonas Vingegaard Team Visma | Lease a Bike 4:10:14 +00:14 6″
3 Florian Lipowitz Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe 4:11:21 +01:21 4″
4 Tobias Johannessen Uno-X Mobility 4:12:26 +02:26 2″
5 Remco Evenepoel Soudal Quick-Step 4:12:39 +02:39
6 Ben Tulett Team Visma | Lease a Bike 4:13:48 +03:48
7 Enric Mas Movistar Team 4:13:48 +03:48
8 Emanuel Buchmann Cofidis 4:13:51 +03:51
9 Carlos Rodriguez Ineos Grenadiers 4:13:51 +03:51
10 Guillaume Martin Guyonnet Groupama-FDJ 4:13:51 +03:51

General Classification After Stage 7

Rank Rider Team Time Gap Bonus
1 Tadej Pogačar UAE Team Emirates XRG 25:44:58 32″
2 Jonas Vingegaard Team Visma | Lease a Bike 25:45:59 +01:01 18″
3 Florian Lipowitz Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe 25:47:19 +02:21 8″
4 Remco Evenepoel Soudal Quick-Step 25:49:09 +04:11 1″
5 Tobias Johannessen Uno-X Mobility 25:50:53 +05:55 2″
6 Paul Seixas Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team 25:51:48 +06:50
7 Matteo Jorgenson Team Visma | Lease a Bike 25:52:16 +07:18
8 Ben Tulett Team Visma | Lease a Bike 25:52:22 +07:24
9 Carlos Rodriguez Ineos Grenadiers 25:52:39 +07:41
10 Enric Mas Movistar Team 25:52:41 +07:43
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