Pogacar already much more in legs than Vingegaard and Evenepoel, Paul Seixas impresses … The main lessons three weeks from the Tour de France

Three weeks before the Tour de France, Tadej Pogacar won the Dauphiné on Sunday, ahead of Jonas Vingegaard.

The general rehearsal is over. In the presence of the main favorites of the Tour de France, the Critérium du Dauphiné 2025 ended, Sunday, June 15, on a victory by Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), which offered itself a demonstration of force during the week. Enough to put it in confidence three weeks from the big loop (from July 5 to 27), even if its competitors Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease A Bike) and Remco Evenepoel (Sudal-Quick Step) are not overcome.

3 steps, the yellow jersey: Tadej Pogacar marks its territory

Fortunately Tadej Pogacar did not want “Not to put too much pressure to win”because its main objective remained the Tour de France. Because, without pressure, the world champion has the general classification by taking control of three of the eight stages: the first in the sprint in front of more armed runners for that like Mathieu van der Poel or Remco Evenepoel, then two mountain stages in which he dropped his main opponent without too much difficulty: Jonas Vingegaard. The Danish finally finished 59 seconds behind the Slovenian, despite a team from La Visma-Lease A Bike Better Armed.

Often lonely, because his teammates were not strong enough to follow the pace, the Slovenian did the work alone. What then will he be on the Tour de France, where two renowned climbers like Joao Almeida and Adam Yates will support him? When the seventh stage arrived on Saturday, Tadej Pogacar played the modest and did not want to bury the suspense for the Tour de France. “”I don't think the turn will be annoying, nothing is easy and the Dauphiné does not provide all the answers “he said. “But it's necessarily good for motivation and morale”he added Sunday. On the program now: a little rest, and an internship in Isola 2000 to work the time trial, where he wasted time during the fourth stage.

Jonas Vingegaard Positive, Remco Evenepoel Encore and Retrait

For a runner who hadn't hung on a bib since his abandonment in Paris-Nice in March, Jonas Vingegard did not do so badly. Admittedly, he failed to follow the accelerations of Tadej Pogacar, but he limited the breakage and showed that he was still so strong on the time trial, with 21 seconds behind the world champion and Olympic of the exercise, Remco Evenepoel, but 28 seconds ahead of Tadej Pogacar. “Tadej seems really very strong, but we focus on us to be the best on the Tour, no matter what happened here. I have to work on a lot of things, on acceleration in the longest climbs in particular”he analyzed on Sunday, after declaring the day before he had done “Rather a good job”.

For Remco Evenepoel, the balance sheet is duller. The Belgian finished fourth, four minutes and 21 seconds from Tadej Pogacar, and is preceded by Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe). Above all, Remco Evenepoel has never really been able to follow the attacks of Tadej Pogacar or Jonas Vingegaard and wondered Sunday morning if his allergies or his fall in training this winter could be the cause.

“Sometimes it discourages you when you see them attacking thoroughly, while you are already at the limithe noted on arrival in Val-Cenis. I have to work on the climbs, I am still far from the two big ones in this area. I really have to get used to going from a high pace to 4-5 minutes thoroughly, it is not really in my nature. “

Paul Seixas (already) confirms his potential

At 18, the young Frenchman of Decathlon-Ag2r La Mondiale has simply become the youngest runner in history to position himself in the top 10 of the Dauphiné, with an eighth place in the general classification. He was even sixth at the start Sunday morning, but a fall made him waste time in the last stage. And this was only his second race at the World Tour level, after the UAE Tour … The ovations he received every morning at the start at the signature and the media solicitations after the stages do not deceive, even if the Lyonnais does not ignite.

“I come out with a lot of confidence, because I arrive with the guys that I see on TV and who walk hard. I manage to hang them, to be part of them, so it's a pride”he said on Saturday. However, Lyonnais does not want to ignite and continues to learn. “A third day difficult immediately, it was starting to do too much”he recognized Sunday evening after three alpine stages. He had assured the day before that he would not be “Not supposed to go around France now”. On the other hand, the Vuelta could be a good learning.

Lenny Martinez more comfortable for stages than for the general classification

The French climber of the Bahrain-Victorious team still lacks consistency to aim better in the general classification (28th), but responds present for stage victories. As in Paris-Nice in March, the young runner of 21 years raised his arms on the Dauphiné on Sunday, when he had finished more than 35 minutes from the winner the day before. “The week was not easy. I was demotivated this morning because I had bad legs and it annoyed me a little,” he explained on Sunday on Sunday.

Fortunately for him, the sensations were much better on the last step. “I was super happy on arrival because I really went through moments not well, I was very bad on this Dauphiné. On the Tour, I will go for the stages, not for the general, so we will try to make shine like today”he added.