‘My legs just didn’t want to continue anymore’ – Mathieu van der Poel fades in Tour de France sprint under Pogačar’s pressure but keeps yellow jersey
Mathieu van der Poel admitted he cracked in the final meters of a brutal Tour de France stage, unable to match Tadej Pogačar’s blistering sprint to the line. Despite the setback, van der Poel managed to retain the yellow jersey by a slim margin, setting up an even tighter GC battle.
“My legs just didn’t want to continue anymore,” van der Poel told reporters frankly. “I tried to follow, but when Pogačar went, I just didn’t have anything left. He was incredibly strong.”
The stage was marked by relentless pace-setting and a late climb that left riders on their limit. Van der Poel credited his team for protecting him as long as they could but admitted there was no answer to Pogačar’s final surge.
“It was a tough day for everyone,” he added. “The most important thing is I still have the jersey. Tomorrow is another chance, and we’ll keep fighting.”
The razor-thin time gap between the two stars ensures the coming stages will be fiercely contested, with both riders showing signs of tactical patience mixed with explosive racing.
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