Tour de France Update: Pogacar Cuts into Vingegaard’s Lead

Tadej Pogacar from UAE Team Emirates is currently the betting favorite to win the 2023 Tour de France at -125 odds. That s even though he’s in second place overall with 12 stages remaining. Defending champion Jonas Vingegaard from Jumbo-Visma is currently in first place, and he’s right behind Pogacar at +110 odds to win the Tour de France in consecutive years.

Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) and defending champion Jonas Vingegaard ascend to the top of Puy de Dome in Stage 9 of the 2023 Tour de France. (Image: Reuters)

The Tour de France has completed the first nine stages and has its first rest day on Monday. There are still 12 more stages remaining, including multiple grueling mountain stages in the Alps.

Vingegaard is currently wearing the yellow jersey as the first-place rider in the peloton, but the Dane s lead is shrinking. The defending champ holds just a 17-second lead over Slovenia’s Pogacar in second place.

Pogacar won the Tour de France in back-to-back years in 2020 and 2021, and he was the runner-up last summer. Vingegaard and Pogacar developed a fierce rivalry over the last couple of years after Vingegaard finished in second place in 2021.

Pogacar is seeking a third win at Le Tour, but he s nursing a wrist injury. Meanwhile, Vingegaard is attempting to defend his title.

Prior to Stage 1, as a slim favorite to win the 2023 Tour de France, +110 odds over Pogacar at +115 odds.

Vingegaard and Pogacar Battle in the Pyrenees

After the first four stages, Pogacar emerged with an 11-second lead over Vingegaard before the peloton headed into the Pyrenees Mountains.

Australia s Jai Hindley from Bora-Hansgrohe won Stage 5 at Laruns and seized first place in the GC standings to secure the yellow jersey. Vingegaard moved into second place when he finished 64 seconds ahead of Pogacar at Laruns.

Pogacar won Stage 6 at Cauterets-Cambasque, which included an ascent of the infamous Col du Tourmalet. He finished 24 seconds ahead of Vingegaard, who took second place in Stage 6.

Hindley got dropped on the ascent of the Tourmalet and lost the lead in the GC standings when he finished in sixth place in Stage 6. Vinegaard jumped into first place in the GC standings and seized the yellow jersey with a 25-second overall lead over Pogacar in second place.

After a mellow next two stages, Pogacar trimmed away eight precious seconds in Stage 9 during a punishing summit finish at Puy de Dome on Sunday.

Heading into Stage 10 on Tuesday, Vingegaard holds just a 17-second lead, but he remains in the coveted maillot jaune since Stage 6.

It s still too close to call the race between Vingegaard and Pogacar with 12 stages remaining. Pogacar seized the momentum in the last few stages, but Vingegaard thrives in the Alps during longer stages in higher altitudes.

Three mountain stages are on the this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Stage 13 is slated for Friday in a 138-kilometer route that features the iconic Grand Colombier.