Many had expected the coming weekend in the Pyrenees to be a time for big attacks in the classification. But today's 11th stage through the Massif Central was already a tough one. 211 kilometers - and thus the second longest day of the Tour de France - and no less than 4,350 meters of climbing were on the agenda.
The finale in particular, with four categorized mountains, was a real challenge for the favourites. The preliminary decision was made on the third-to-last climb, the Puy Mary. The leading group had melted down to ten riders. Shortly before the summit, on the steepest section, the yellow jersey wearer attacked and went solo on the last 30 kilometers. Primož Roglič initially led the chase. On the next climb, Vingegaard broke away from Roglič - but Evenepoel joined him. A duo at the front, a duo a few seconds behind and with a clear gap to all the chasers. This situation would determine the final kilometers.
There were scary moments on the descent to the finish: Primož Roglič crashed in a hairpin bend, was quickly back on his bike and crossed the finish line in fourth place. Thanks to the three-kilometer rule that applied on stage 11, Roglič was classified by the jury with the same time as Evenepoel.
Today marked the start of the second half of the Tour de France. The four favorites have now clearly pulled away from the chasers - the gap between Primož Roglič and 5th place is already more than two seconds.
Photo (Header): Kristof Ramon / Red Bull Content Pool