What a day for Tadej and his UAE Team Emirates – XRG team in the Pyrenees! Hautacam was the finish of the 12th stage of the 112th Tour de France, which brought Tadej closer to his fourth triumph in Paris.
On this 13.6-kilometer climb with a 7.8% gradient, where Jonas Vingegaard was stronger in 2022, Tim Wellens, Adam Yates, and Jhonatan Narvaez prepared the winning move this time. Then Tadej attacked 12 kilometers before the finish and rode towards his third stage victory in this year’s Tour. It was also the most convincing, after winning the 4th and 7th stages in a sprint, this time he rode to the finish with a 2:10 advantage over Jonas Vingegaard (Visma Lease a Bike).
Before that, he rushed past his parents, Mirko and Marjeta, who is celebrating her birthday today. »I knew it was an exceptional climb, I got to know it during the recon fort he Tour. I was looking forward to it, then came the 2022 Tour. In the overall standings, I tried to get the yellow jersey back by going through the wall, but Jumbo Visma was too strong. I almost forgot about it, I was looking forward to this day, but everyone was telling me it was revenge on Hautacam. When we reached the foot, it was the opposite of three years ago, again a Belgian was in the lead, but this time Tim Wellens. I am extremely satisfied that I gained time and won on this climb,« Tadej said after his 20th stage victory in the Tour.
After it, Tadej wore the yellow jersey for the 44th time in his career, which he holds with a 3:31 advantage over Vingegaard and 4:45 over Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick Step).
On the winner’s podium, he was congratulated by French President Emmanuel Macron, and Tadej, upon his 14th victory this year and 102nd career victory, remembered the family of 19-year-old Samuele Privitera, a member of the Jayco Alula development team, who died of cardiac arrest after a fall during the race in the Aosta Valley.
»We did an exceptional job, the team raced excellently, but chapeau to the EF team and Ben Healy, who fought for the yellow jersey, and also to Uno X, who defended their position in the overall standings well. We were extremely strong, we had this stage in mind for a long time, and we succeeded. I would like to dedicate the victory to Samuele and his family. It was the first thing I read in the morning, very sad, I thought of him in the last kilometer and how hard this sport can be, how much pain it can cause,« Tadej added.
Tomorrow, another key stage awaits him, a mountain time trial from Loudenvielle to Peyragudes, the 007 altiport where some scenes from the film Tomorrow Never Dies about secret agent James Bond were filmed.
It will be only 10.9 kilometers long, but the riders will have to overcome 650 meters of elevation. The initial flat kilometers are followed by an eight-kilometer climb with an average gradient of 7.8%. The last kilometer will rise with an average gradient of 13%. Tadej already won on the runway at Peyragudes in the 17th stage in 2022.