Day-long Attack Propels Australian into Yellow Jersey.

Jai Hindley of Bora-Hansgrohe seized an impressive victory in stage 5 of the Tour de France in Laruns, clinching the coveted yellow jersey in the process. The race took a dramatic turn as Jonas Vingegaard from Jumbo-Visma showcased his exceptional prowess by dropping Tadej Pogačar of UAE Team Emirates on the challenging Col de Marie Blanque. Vingegaard's remarkable performance earned him a substantial advantage over his rival, widening the gap between them by over a minute.

With his outstanding display of strength and skill, Vingegaard has now ascended to the second position overall, trailing Hindley by a mere 47 seconds. Meanwhile, Pogačar finds himself trailing significantly, over 53 seconds behind Vingegaard. As the Tour de France progresses, it becomes increasingly evident that Vingegaard is a formidable contender for the ultimate victory, setting the stage for an exciting battle in the weeks to come.

The Basque Grand Départ introduced the high mountains earlier than usual, setting the stage for an exhilarating day of racing. From the outset, the peloton approached the stage with relentless determination, resulting in a captivating spectacle from start to finish. Hindley's involvement in a potent breakaway group, formed even before the road began to ascend, added an extra layer of excitement to the event.

Led by the impressive performances of riders such as Wout van Aert from Jumbo-Visma, a formidable collective forged ahead and established a commanding advantage of up to four minutes at the summit of the Col de Soudet. Even as they approached the base of the challenging Col de Marie Blanque, this determined group still maintained a solid lead of 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

With just four kilometers remaining until reaching the top of the Marie Blanque, Jai Hindley closely followed the acceleration of Felix Gall from AG2R-Citroën. Displaying his exceptional strength, the winner of the 2021 Giro d'Italia left the Swiss rider behind, conquering the summit in solitary fashion and descending towards the finish line in Laruns as the victorious rider of the stage.

“I was sort of improvising out there and enjoying bike racing and I just managed to find myself in that group,” said Hindley, who is making his Tour debut. “I enjoyed it out there today. It's really incredible. I have no words – I really have no words.”

As the riders descended the mountain, Jumbo-Visma took charge of setting the pace in the leading group, replacing UAE Team Emirates. When Sepp Kuss unleashed his powerful effort on the steep slopes of the Marie Blanque, only Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar were able to keep up with him.

Vingegaard's performance seemed to boost his confidence. With around 1500 meters remaining until the summit, he launched a familiar acceleration that left Pogačar struggling to respond. While Pogačar fought to minimize his time loss, Vingegaard surged ahead through the mist, overtaking the remaining breakaway riders as he closed in on Jai Hindley.

“We didn’t think this was the perfect stage for me, but, yeah, then when they started riding on the last climb, I had the feeling I had good legs,” Vingegaard said. “I said to Sepp that maybe he goes on the front. He did and I decided to attack as well.”

That's the simple and yet complex reality of the situation. Despite cresting the summit 1:05 behind Jai Hindley, defending champion Jonas Vingegaard managed to maintain a 36-second advantage over Tadej Pogačar, and he continued to extend his lead during the remaining 18.5 kilometers to the finish in Laruns.

In the final kilometers, Vingegaard caught up with Felix Gall, Emanuel Buchmann, and Giulio Ciccone, crossing the line in fifth place on the stage, 34 seconds behind the Australian winner.

On the other hand, Pogačar waited for his teammate Adam Yates on the descent of the Marie Blanque, but the time gap remained significant by the end. Despite gaining bonus seconds in the Basque Country over the weekend, Pogačar now faces a shift in momentum as Vingegaard unexpectedly gains ground. The Danish rider admitted his surprise at the progress he has made.

“Actually, yes,” Vingegaard said. “I wanted to test him a bit. And my legs were good and I’m super happy with where I am. I’m super happy with taking a minute, that’s a good time gain for me.”