Gravel Glory: Pogacar’s Tenacity Shines in Tour de France Ninth Stage

Tadej Pogacar showcased his aggressive riding style in the Tour de France’s ninth stage, marked by gravel roads and relentless attacks on defending champion Jonas Vingegaard. Anthony Turgis secured a hard-fought victory after a 199-km ride, but Pogacar’s performance kept viewers riveted as he retained his overall leader's yellow jersey.

Tadej Pogacar displayed his signature swashbuckling style as he relentlessly attacked defending champion Jonas Vingegaard during the Tour de France's thrilling ninth stage on Sunday, replete with challenging gravel sections. While Anthony Turgis won the stage with a well-timed sprint, Pogacar dominated the headlines with his fierce efforts.

The Slovenian retained the yellow jersey by leveraging several gravel segments to pressure Vingegaard. Despite the intense rivalry, Vingegaard, who even had to swap bikes mid-stage due to a puncture, remained well-protected by his Visma-Lease a Bike team. Pogacar crossed the finish line with key competitors Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic.

Heading into the first rest day, Pogacar leads Evenepoel by 33 seconds, Vingegaard by 1:15, and Roglic by 1:36. Several more incidents, including Vingegaard's puncture and subsequent bike swap, kept the tension high. The trio of Pogacar, Vingegaard, and Evenepoel consistently vied for the lead, culminating in more excitement with Pogacar's explosive accelerations on gravel.

(With inputs from agencies.)