Race report | 19 September 2020, 20:12

Team Jumbo-Visma bounces on strong Pogacar and ultimately loses yellow jersey in Tour

Name: Team Visma | Lease a Bike
Price range: $

Team Jumbo-Visma and Primoz Roglic have had to relinquish the yellow jersey in the Tour de France. In the mountain time trial to La Planche des Belles Filles, Primoz Roglic finished fifth, almost two minutes behind the very strong Tadej Pogacar. As a result, Roglic ultimately lost the leader’s jersey that he had had in his possession for eleven days.

News

Team Jumbo-Visma rode a more than decent time trial. The yellow-black formation finished in the top five with three riders. Tom Dumoulin finished second, Wout van Aert fourth.

“I didn’t have the legs to go faster today”, a disappointed Roglic said. “I just couldn’t push harder. I couldn’t ride the watts I needed to win. I tried my best and gave it my all, but Tadej was just too strong. I knew what times Tadej was riding, but in the end it didn’t matter because my legs were not good enough to anticipate on that. But despite the disappointment, I think we rode a very strong Tour as a team. I want to thank the team for everything they have done for me over the past three weeks. I am proud of how we raced as a team and we need to take the positives out of it for the future.”

"I couldn’t ride the watts I needed to win."

Primoz Roglic

Dumoulin finished second. It was his first podium in more than a year. In spite of this, disappointment also prevailed with him. “This is quite a pity. Pogacar was of a different level than we were today. Primoz was feeling good this morning and he knew that he had to do a good time trial. It wasn’t his best time trial ever, but it certainly wasn’t his worst either. We’ve bounced on a strong Pogacar. The Tour victory slipped out of our hands. That is very disappointing. I did a considerable time trial myself. I didn’t ride very fast at La Planche, but before that I had some good pace. But it doesn’t matter anyway. It was neither for the stage win nor for the overall win. We did not see this one coming.”

"Pogacar was of a different level than we were today."

Tom Dumoulin

Wout van Aert rode a strong time trial at La Planche des Belles Filles, but did not see this plot twist coming as well. “It comes as a complete surprise. Primoz felt good. There was nothing that indicates that he wasn’t feeling great. During the time trial I already saw that he was riding his bike differently than usual. We have all worked very hard for it. And we have gone all in for the past three weeks. That it didn’t work out is very disappointing. For myself I can be satisfied with my time trial. I think this was the highest achievable for me.”