Stage 7

The road

At the start

One second, and the Mur twice

Mathieu van der Poel rode the breakaway to Vire and took the jersey back by a single second from Tadej Pogačar. Jonas Vingegaard is 1:14 down and needs a lever. Today hands him one: the Mûr-de-Bretagne, fifteen per cent at its steepest, climbed twice, the second time to the finish — the wall where Van der Poel won his first Tour stage and first yellow jersey four years ago.

How it was won

1. 1126 km to go

   The break goes

   A break slips away over the Breton hills, but all eyes are on the double ascent of the Mur-de-Bretagne to come.

2. 216 km to go

   First time up the Mur

   The race climbs the Mur-de-Bretagne once before looping back, the first ascent stripping the bunch to the GC men and their last helpers.

3. 33 km to go

   The pace detonates

   On the second ascent the pace explodes on the 15% ramps; only the very best survive at the front.

4. 41 km to go

   Pogačar kicks

   Pogačar accelerates on the steepest section of the Mur and only Vingegaard can follow, the two racing shoulder to shoulder to the summit line.

5. 5At the line

   Pogačar throws his bike

   Pogačar throws his bike first atop the Mur-de-Bretagne, beating Vingegaard for the stage and the time bonus.

The result