Jonas Vingegaard leaves Tadej Pogacar 'fizzing' after Tour de France opening stage - 'Pog, who?'

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Tadej Pogacar will be "fizzing" after seeing his great rival Jonas Vingegaard take the yellow jersey on the opening stage of the Tour de France following the team time trial in Barcelona on Saturday evening.

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Video credit: TNT Sports

That is the view of TNT Sports cycling expert Matt Stephens, after Visma-Lease a Bike produced a remarkable ride to defy expectations and take the first yellow jersey ahead of Netcompany Ineos and Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates-XRG.

Much of the pre-race talk had centred on Pogacar's expected coronation and a potential record-equalling fifth Tour title, with Visma and Vingegaard widely framed as supporting cast despite their Giro d'Italia success earlier this year.

Visma's build-up had also been disrupted, with Wout van Aert ruled out through injury and Eduardo Affini only cleared to start at the 11th hour after a crash at the Italian Road Championships left him in hospital.

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But despite that, the Dutch squad delivered a statement performance when it mattered most as pre-stage favourites Ineos suffered misfortune.

Vingegaard powered home on the final ramp to secure the win for Visma and the yellow jersey he last wore during his 2023 Tour triumph, with Ineos finishing eight seconds back and UAE a further four adrift.

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Over in The Breakaway studio, the TNT panel were full of praise for the supposed underdogs.

"It looked like things were unravelling for Visma-Lease a Bike before the Tour had started," said Robbie McEwen.

"No Van Aert, Affini crashing in the Italian championships. Going into this team time trial, feeling like underdogs, everybody saying how much Pog is going to win by.

"I'm still saying it's Pog's to lose overall... but there's something important about going in as underdogs and drawing first blood. And going like, 'Pog, who?'"

While Pogacar cut a relaxed figure after the race, Stephens suggested the result may have landed a psychological blow.

"I'm not super surprised they [UAE] lost. But the fact it's Jonas who has gone into yellow, Pog is going to be fizzing," said Stephens.

"Pogacar is not going to be disappointed with his team - they rode the team time trial we thought they would ride - but they just didn't have the collective heft in the early part to do what Visma did. How long does Pog want Jonas to be in that jersey?"

McEwen, a 12-time stage winner at the Tour, chimed in that Visma "may have poked the bear".

'We're here to fight when the big mountains come'

Despite the result, Pogacar remained upbeat and will take the polka dot jersey into Stage 2 after posting the fastest time on the final climb ahead of Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe).

Speaking to TNT Sports while being serenaded by fans in Barcelona, Pogacar said: "I think we did super good. We took the polka dots and were third today.

"I don't consider us as team time trial specialists. We're here to fight when the big mountains come. Of course you want to win but it was a really good day for us."

Pogacar and Vingegaard have shared the last six Tours between them, with the Slovenian leading their head-to-head 4-2.