'He makes everyone else look so amateur' - Tadej Pogacar torches Jonas Vingegaard and rivals on Hautacam in Tour de France masterclass
Updated 18/07/2025 at 08:32 GMT+1
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Tadej Pogacar produced a commanding solo win on Stage 12 of the Tour de France to seize the yellow jersey and cement his status as the overwhelming favourite for the title. The Slovenian blew away Jonas Vingegaard and rivals on Hautacam to open up a 3'31" lead, just a day after crashing. The result banished memories of his 2022 collapse on the same climb and drew high praise from the pundits.
Stage 12 highlights: Pogacar detonates on Hautacam as Vingegaard and Evenepoel suffer
Video credit: TNT Sports
Tadej Pogacar is "on another planet" and "makes everyone else look so amateur".
That was the damning verdict from the TNT Sports studio after the Slovenian’s outrageous solo victory on Stage 12 of the Tour de France.
Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) banished his Hautacam demons in brutal fashion, claiming the yellow jersey with a sublime 20th career stage win at the Tour.
He now leads Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) by 3’31" in the overall standings, with a fourth maillot jaune within reach.
His victory was even more remarkable given he had crashed just 24 hours earlier and started the stage in Auch with a bandaged left arm.
Three years ago, it was Vingegaard who soared up Hautacam as Pogacar’s dream of a Tour three-peat unravelled.
On Thursday, he buried that memory - and possibly the GC race in only the second week - with a performance that strengthened his case as cycling's GOAT.
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"He's just unbelievable. We're running out of things to say about him," said TNT Sports cycling expert Adam Blythe on The Breakaway.
"He's just on another planet. I know it sounds disrespectful, but he makes everyone else look so amateur. He's just an absolute monster on a bike, and I don't know who is going to beat him.
"Even a bad day on Tadej’s terms is still going to be so difficult to beat him. He is just on another level of cycling.
"He’s completed cycling now. He’s going to invent a 'new cycling' and complete that as well."
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'Monster' Pogacar has 'completed cycling' - Blythe
Video credit: TNT Sports
'I've never seen such a dominant ride' - Kelly
Four-time green jersey winner Sean Kelly was similarly stunned on commentary.
"I’ve never seen such a dominant ride against his main rival," said Kelly.
"I was expecting a much bigger battle, a closer fought one, in the first big test in the Tour this year.
"We were talking about who would come out with the strongest hand at the end of the day and Pogacar has taken a big lead that will be difficult to recover."
There was cautious optimism that Vingegaard, who arrived undercooked last year after a big crash derailed his build-up, would be closer in 2025.
Despite being roundly beaten at the Criterium du Dauphine and losing time in last week’s individual time trial, he had matched Pogacar on the short, sharp climbs.
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'The smiling assassin!' - Pogacar soars to sublime Stage 12 victory at Tour de France
Video credit: TNT Sports
Indeed, it was his Visma team-mates who did most of the work on Thursday’s stage, burning through their own riders with the pace. But when Hautacam arrived, Pogacar waited barely a kilometre to launch. Vingegaard kept him in range briefly - then the elastic snapped.
The Dane still finished second on the day, albeit 2’10" back. The gap to Pogacar now looks enormous.
"There is a long way to go, a lot of big mountain stages, but it will be a big uphill battle for the man challenging Tadej Pogacar," said Kelly.
"Vingegaard has a real difficult one in his hands now. This morning, I thought it would be a close battle but it turns out Pogacar dominated.
"He [Vingegaard] really suffered compared to Pogacar who looked so much more at ease. This is a really bad day for Vingegaard. He must just continue on in this race but it will be a big one to ask him to come back from here."
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