Tour de France Stage 13: Pogačar Unleashed

PEYRAGUDES, France  (18 July 2025) – In the rarefied air of the Pyrenees, where legends are forged and dreams shattered, Tadej Pogačar delivered another masterclass in mountain dominance. The Slovenian champion’s victory in Stage 13’s uphill time trial to Peyragudes wasn’t just a win—it was a statement of intent that may have sealed the fate of this year’s Tour de France.

Twenty-four hours after his commanding performance at Hautacam, Pogačar returned to familiar terrain at Peyragudes, where he had claimed victory in 2022. This time, however, the 26.2-kilometer uphill time trial would test not just his climbing prowess but his ability to suffer alone against the clock. The answer came emphatically: 23 minutes flat, averaging an astonishing 28.4 km/h up gradients that would humble most mortals.

“I’m super happy,” Pogačar said, still catching his breath after dismounting from his road bike—a tactical decision that would prove crucial. “This time trial was quite a big question mark already in December for me. I wanted everything to be perfect and the team delivered.”

The stage began with the usual suspects fighting elimination, their primary concern surviving the 40% time cut—mercifully extended from the originally planned 33%. Matteo Vercher set the early benchmark at 30:01, quickly bettered by Jordi Meeus (29:32) and Roel van Sintmaartensdijk (29:12). Young climber Lennert Van Eetvelt became the first to break the 28-minute barrier with 27:49, but it was Luke Plapp who truly seized control.

The Australian champion’s combination of rouleur power and climbing ability—qualities he had showcased with his sixth-place finish at Paris-Nice in 2024—proved formidable. His time of 24:58 represented a quantum leap in performance, setting a mark that seemed untouchable as the genuine contenders prepared for their efforts.

Lenny Martinez, hunting King of the Mountains points for Bahrain Victorious, appeared to be flying up the early slopes, trailing by just nine seconds at the intermediate check. But the Pyrenees are unforgiving, and the young Frenchman’s legs betrayed him on the steepest pitches, crossing the line 23 seconds adrift. Adam Yates suffered a similar fate, looking competitive through the middle sections before losing 17 seconds in the final accounting.

Pogačar’s Masterpiece

As the general classification contenders launched their efforts, the tactical implications became clear. Matteo Jorgenson managed a respectable ride, finishing five seconds behind Plapp, but it was Primož Roglič who first cracked the Australian’s time. The Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe leader’s performance—1:20 back from what would be the winning time—demonstrated the Slovenian veteran’s enduring class, finishing 36 seconds clear of teammate Florian Lipowitz.

But all eyes were on the yellow jersey. Pogačar’s decision to race without radio communication spoke volumes about his confidence and tactical approach. “I really wanted to go all out from start to finish, smashing the pedals as much as possible,” he explained. “I almost blew out in the end but I saw the time on the finish arch and it gave me an extra push because I saw I was gonna win.”

The world champion’s ride was poetry in motion, each pedal stroke a verse in his Tour de France opus. At the first time check, he held a five-second advantage—modest but encouraging. By the second intermediate, that gap had grown, confirming what many suspected: Pogačar was riding into another dimension.

“Basically, it was all on instinct,” he revealed. “I decided to go without radio because the tactics was all out from the start to the finish. I saw at the first time check I was 5 seconds in green. At the second one, the gap was a bit bigger so I knew I was on a good pace.”

The equipment choice proved crucial. While many expected the Slovenian to opt for a time trial bike, he stuck with his road machine—the same setup he had ridden for the previous twelve stages. “This was the biggest decision to make: which bike to ride today,” Pogačar acknowledged. “Obviously, we race on the road bike most of the year, like 99% of the time. We did some calculations and I decided to be more comfortable, riding with the same bike as the last 12 stages, and it worked out for me.”

Jonas Vingegaard, the defending champion and Pogačar’s primary rival, produced a valiant effort that would have won most time trials. His 23:36 represented exceptional climbing against the clock, but in the context of this Tour de France, it felt like capitulation. The 36-second gap extended Pogačar’s overall advantage to 4:07—a margin that feels increasingly insurmountable with each passing stage.

Evenepoel’s Tour Continues to Unravel

For Remco Evenepoel, the day represented another chapter in a Tour that has steadily unraveled. The Belgian’s 12th-place finish, 2:39 behind Pogačar, dropped him to 7:24 in the general classification and raised serious questions about his form.

“I didn’t have the legs I wanted,” Evenepoel admitted, his frustration evident. “Everything was fine on the flat, but after three or four minutes on the climb, I felt empty. I have no explanation. I warmed up as I usually do and felt good this morning. In the end, I felt really bad and it was a very poor performance. I really wasn’t expecting it.”

The Road to Superbagnères

The tactical implications ripple through the race’s remaining stages. With Pogačar now holding 21 Tour stage victories—nine of them in the Pyrenees—and having dominated the last six finishes atop Category 1 or HC climbs, his rivals face an increasingly desperate situation.

“So far, so good,” Pogačar said with characteristic understatement. “We’re just a bit over halfway now and it’s still a long way to Paris but if we keep riding like this and don’t do any mistake, then we can be satisfied with this margin.”

His assessment of Vingegaard remained respectful but confident: “[Jonas Vingegaard] was good today. He will not give up and if he has good legs he will try everyday. I need to fight with good legs until the end. It’s still a big fight until Paris.”

The Pyrenees bid farewell with Saturday’s Stage 14 to Luchon-Superbagnères, a summit finish steeped in Tour de France lore. The 12.4-kilometer climb at 7.3% gradient was the scene of Bernard Hinault and Greg LeMond’s epic battle in 1986, and Robert Millar’s victory in 1989. With four major ascents and 4,950 meters of elevation gain, it promises to be a festival of attacking cycling.

The question now is whether Pogačar’s dominance has crushed his rivals’ spirits or merely delayed their most desperate gambits. With less than a minute separating third through sixth overall, the battle for the final podium spot remains fierce. But at the top, one man appears to be riding his own race, turning the Tour de France into a procession of his own making.

In claiming his 46th yellow jersey, Pogačar hasn’t just won a stage—he’s potentially won the Tour de France. The only question remaining is whether anyone can find the legs and the courage to prove him wrong.

By the Numbers

4/21: TIME TRIAL BOSS
Winner of his 4th Tour individual time trial, Tadej Pogačar raises his arms for the 21st time in the race. He surpasses Luxembourg’s Nicolas Frantz as the 6th rider with the most wins, and is now only one behind Frenchman André Darrigade. This is the second time he has achieved 4 wins in a single Tour, the first being in 2024 (6 wins).

63%: WHO CAN STOP HIM?
11 stages have ended on a cat.1 summit since Tadej Pogačar joined the Tour in 2020. The Slovenian has won 7 of these 11 stages, representing a 63% success rate. He has even won 6 of the last 8 finishes on cat.1 climbs since the day he won a cat.1 climb for the first time at La Planche des Belles Filles, in 2020.

5: GIRMAY, MERLIER (…) SAVED!
The time limit had to be calculated according to the best time plus 33%, but it was exceptionally increased to 40% before the start. A change that saved 5 riders! Without this, the time limit would have been 7’40, which would have led to the elimination of Biniam Girmay (30’54”), Arnaud Démare (30’59”), Elmar Reinders (31’10”), Tim Merlier (31’27”), and Luka Mezgec (31’28”).

6: SO TIGHT IS THAT YOUNGSTERS FIGHT!
Today’s best young rider, Florian Lipowitz, is 6″ behind Remco Evenepoel in the general classification. This is the first time in the 21st century that the young rider classification top-2 are so close after 13 stages. The podium is still less than a minute apart, with Oscar Onley having moved up to 3rd, 47″ behind. This is also unprecedented in the 21st century.

5: IMPRESSIVE PLAPP
Luke Plapp, who held the provisional time for part of the stage, spent 3 hours, 3 minutes, and 22 seconds as the virtual winner before being passed by Primož Roglič. The three-time Australian time trial (2021-24-25) and road race (2022-23-24) champion finished 5th and recorded his best stage result, improving the 9th place he achieved in Caen. This is the first top-5 finish for an Australian in a time trial since Richie Porte’s 3rd place at La Planche des Belles Filles in 2020.

12: BAD DAY FOR EVENEPOEL
Only 12th today, Remco Evenepoel missed a Tour time trial podium for the first time. The two-time world champion (2023-24) won at Gevrey-Chambertin last year, finished 3rd in Nice 16 days later, and won in Caen this year.

10.9: SHORTEST TIME TRIAL
It was the 222nd individual time trial in the history of the Tour, but more importantly: being 10.9 kilometers long, it was the shortest —excluding prologues and half-stages. The previous one was the Clermont-Ferrand – Puy de Dôme done in 1959 (stage 15), which was 12.5 kilometers long.

35: A FAST VETERAN
At 35 years, 8 months, and 20 days, Primož Roglič is the oldest rider to finish on a stage podium this year. The five other thirty-somethings to have achieved this are Simon Yates (32), Tim Merlier (32), Phil Bauhaus (31), Wout van Aert (30), and Mathieu van der Poel (30).

9-8: VINGEGAARD AND ROGLIČ’S STREAKS
Jonas Vingegaard (2nd) is on a run of 9 stage podiums without a victory, closing in on Alexander Kristoff’s 10 between 2014 and 2018. The Dane has not won since his success at Le Lioran last year. Finishing 3rd, Primož Roglič is on a run of 8 stage podiums without a victory. The last one dates back to Orcières-Merlette 2020.

203: POGI THE SPRINTER
Second in the points classification behind Jonathan Milan, Tadej Pogačar has already scored 203 points, his personal best after 13 stages. The Slovenian is doing better than in 2022 (164 points after 13 stages), when he achieved 250 points at the end, his best mark in the points classification.

2: BACK-TO-BACK AT PEYRAGUDES!
In Peyragudes, Tadej Pogačar succeeds to… Tadej Pogačar! He already won here during the last Tour visit in 2022. It is called a “back-to-back,” and he is the first to do so since… himself at La Planche des Belles Filles! The Slovenian won a time trial there in 2020, then a road stage in 2022, with the slight difference that it ended at La Super Planche des Belles Filles. Before him, the last “back-to-back” referred to Mark Cavendish’s successes at Châteauroux (2008, 2011, 2021).

Stage 13 Results

1. 1. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 23’00”
   2. Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) 23’36” (+36″)
   3. Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) 24’20” (+1’20”)
   4. Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) 24’56” (+1’56”)
   5. Luke Plapp (Team Jayco AlUla) 24’58” (+1’58”)
   6. Matteo Jorgenson (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) 25’03” (+2’03”)
   7. Oscar Onley (Team Picnic PostNL) 25’06” (+2’06”)
   8. Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 25’15” (+2’15”)
   9. Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) 25’21” (+2’21”)
   10. Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team) 25’22” (+2’22”)

General Classification after Stage 13

1. 1. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 45h 45’51”
   2. Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) 45h 49’58” (+4’07”)
   3. Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) 45h 53’15” (+7’24”)
   4. Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) 45h 53’21” (+7’30”)
   5. Oscar Onley (Team Picnic PostNL) 45h 54’02” (+8’11”)
   6. Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) 45h 54’06” (+8’15”)
   7. Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) 45h 54’41” (+8’50”)
   8. Tobias Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) 45h 56’27” (+10’36”)
   9. Felix Gall (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team) 45h 57’34” (+11’43”)
   10. Matteo Jorgenson (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) 46h 00’06” (+14’15”)

Jersey Holders After Stage 13

• • Yellow Jersey (Overall Leader): Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
  • Green Jersey (Points Leader): Jonathan Milan
  • Polka-dot Jersey (King of the Mountains): Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
  • White Jersey (Best Young Rider): Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step)