Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) sailed to the summit of the hors category Col du Portet on hardest day of the Tour de France and won his first stage as the leader of the three-week race.
The podium of the Tour de France ascended into the clouds in the final four kilometres of the 178.4km route, led by the yellow jersey. The Slovene’s aggressive moves were followed by his closest contenders on the upper slopes of the Col du Portet, the highest summit finish of the race at 2,209 metres above sea level - Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), and Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers).
Vingegaard would finish second, three seconds down on Pogacar, and Carapaz four seconds back, but EF-Nippo's Rigoberto Urán lost contact, and time, finishing 1:49 back to slip from second overall to fourth overall.
Earlier on the overcast, grey day that began in Muret, the yellow jersey was part of the peloton and had to chase a breakaway of six riders on the slopes of the Col de Peyresourde, the first of three climbs packed in the final 70 kilometres of the route. In that group were four French riders, looking for glory on Bastille Day - Dorian Godon (AG2R-Citroën), Anthony Perez (Cofidis), Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies) and Maxime Chevalier (B&B-KTM).
Perez and Godon pressed on together and held a 3:37 advantage with 21km to go, but on the steep incline of the Col du Portet the GC contenders would accelerate and leave them behind.
Watch how stage 17 at the Tour de France unfolded in the video highlights above.
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