Tadej Pogacar delivered a crushing display on the slopes to Hautacam, seizing control of the Tour de France with a dominant victory on Stage 12 in the Pyrenees. Twenty‑four hours after crashing on the run‑in to Toulouse, the world champion showed no lingering effects, distancing Jonas Vingegaard by well over two minutes on the final 13km climb and extending his overall advantage to more than three and a half minutes with nine stages to race.
Riding in the rainbow jersey and backed by an imperious UAE Team Emirates squad, Pogacar attacked from the foot of the ascent after a stinging lead‑out from teammate Jhonatan Narváez. Vingegaard initially tried to hold the wheel, but the elastic snapped as the gradient and heat took their toll. The Dane, already outgunned in the long time trial earlier in the race, again ceded significant time and is now fighting to preserve a podium challenge from a tightening group behind.
Pogacar said he feels at the peak of his career, lifted by world champion colours and the strength of his team. He admitted nerves before the start and memories of losing the 2022 Tour here. That tension seemed to fuel the acceleration that settled the stage. French president Emmanuel Macron saw the onslaught.
Questions swirled around support for Vingegaard after key teammates faded. Matteo Jorgenson, fifth overall at the start, slipped back on the Col du Soulor, while Simon Yates, a stage winner on Puy de Sancy, was absent when the race exploded. Visma‑Lease a Bike were left exposed against UAE’s depth.
The furnace conditions punished others. Ben Healy cracked badly, surrendering fourteen minutes, and Remco Evenepoel also struggled. Scottish climber Oscar Onley shone, finishing fifth on the stage and rising to sixth on general classification.
Debate lingered over the bunch easing after Pogacar’s crash the previous day, a gesture of sportsmanship contrasted with less charitable moments in past editions. Rider reactions included a pointed reference from Demi Vollering, who remembered a different response after her race‑ending crash in 2024. Once the road tilted up, sentiment gave way to ruthlessness.
The start in Auch was subdued following the death of 19‑year‑old Italian prospect Samuele Privitera in the Giro delle Valle d’Aosta; a minute’s applause honoured his memory. Stage 13, a time trial from Loudenvielle to Peyragudes, gives Evenepoel a chance to counterpunch, but on current form Pogacar seems poised to tighten his grip on yellow.
