Tadej Pogačar, Tour de France 2025, Stage 13, Time Trial, Jonas Vingegaard, Primoz Roglic, Remco Evenepoel, cycling news, mountain stage
Tadej Pogačar Rockets Up the Climb and Into Tour History—Again
Tadej Pogačar doesn’t just ride stages—he rewrites them.
On Friday, the Slovenian cycling superstar dropped a performance so ruthless in Stage 13’s uphill time trial that the only thing left to debate was what kind of champagne his team would bring to Paris.
The 10.9-km test wasn’t long, but with most of it pitched at a brutal 7.9% gradient, it was a pure climber’s canvas. And boy, did Pogačar paint a masterpiece.
With a time of 23 minutes flat, the UAE Team Emirates – XRG leader dusted Jonas Vingegaard by 36 seconds. Primož Roglič came in 1:40 behind, and Remco Evenepoel had what can only be described as a tough day at the office, finishing 2:39 back.
Pogačar’s overall lead is now 4 minutes and 7 seconds. And he’s not even done.
Bike Choice, Bold Moves, and All-Out Effort
Here’s what made the performance even spicier: while rivals went full aero with time trial bikes, Pogačar stuck with a standard road bike. Why? Comfort, confidence, and climbing legs over pure wind-cheating speed.
“It was a close call,” Pogačar said. “We ride road bikes all year, and the times ended up about the same. I went with what I felt more confident on.”
Spoiler: he made the right call.
From the first flat section to the final kick, Pogačar was electric. His splits were scorching, and despite nearly “blowing up” in the final kilometre, he powered through with his fourth stage win of the Tour.
“My tactic was simple: go all out from the bottom to the top,” he explained. “I almost did in the end—but when I saw I was going to win at the finish, it gave me an extra push.”
Rivals Reeling: Vingegaard, Evenepoel and the Fallout
Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard, the man many thought might challenge for yellow, now sits over four minutes behind. And after back-to-back hammerings—first in the Pyrenees, then this time trial—he’ll need a miracle (and probably a tailwind from the gods) to reel Pogačar back in.
Remco Evenepoel? Still technically on the podium in third overall, but barely. His rough ride has him clinging to the spot with just six seconds over Germany’s Florian Lipowitz.
Primož Roglič rounded out the top three of the day but remains over six minutes off yellow.
Eyes on Stage 14: Mountains Galore and a Shot at a Hat-Trick
If you think Pogačar is kicking back after this—think again. He’s already eyeing a hat-trick of stage wins as Stage 14 heads into some of the Tour’s nastiest terrain.
Coming up Saturday:
- Col d’Aspin
- Col du Tourmalet
- Col de Peyresourde
- And a final summit finish at Luchon-Superbagnères (12.4km at 7.3%)
It’s the kind of savage profile that makes your legs hurt just reading it. But for Pogačar? Just another chance to go full gas and add to his legend.
Quick Tip for Cycling Fans: Want to climb like Pogačar? Start by ditching your ego on the flat and focus on consistent power output. Uphill success is 80% pacing, 20% suffering—with a little sprinkle of madness.
What’s Next: With a commanding lead and his rivals staggering, Pogačar looks primed for a fourth Tour de France title. But it’s the Tour—it never stops throwing surprises. Keep an eye on Stage 14. It could be fireworks… or full-on firestorms.
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