Tadej Pogacar extends Tour de France lead with stage 15 triumph

Tadej Pogacar solidified his position as a front-runner for the Tour de France title with another impressive performance, securing back-to-back stage wins in stage 14 and stage 15, SSP reported.

The race entered the challenging Pyrenees Mountains, providing an opportunity for Pogacar's rivals to bridge the gap in the general classification. However, the two-time champion showcased his dominance by outclassing his competitors on the demanding climb to the Plateau de Beille finish.

With a commanding lead, the 25-year-old Slovenian left Jonas Vingegaard behind, triumphing by a margin of one minute and eight seconds. Remco Evenepoel finished third, almost three minutes adrift.

Following Pogacar's incredible display, Vingegaard now trails him by three minutes and nine seconds, while Evenepoel is five minutes and nine seconds behind in third place.

Stage 15, a grueling 197.7km mountain stage from Loudenvielle, posed as one of the Tour's most challenging days. It featured four category one climbs and an arduous hours category climb, representing 9% of this year's total elevation gain.

Despite struggling with the heat, Pogacar seized the opportunity to retaliate against Vingegaard's resolute Visma-Lease a Bike team, who set a relentless pace throughout the stage.

Vingegaard's teammate Matteo Jorgenson led the peloton up the punishing final climb, hoping to push Pogacar to his limits. However, it became clear that it was Vingegaard himself who reached his threshold when he glanced back at Pogacar, prompting the Slovenian to capitalize on the moment by extending his lead.

Similar to the previous stage, Pogacar capitalized on the opportunity to surge ahead, powering to his third stage win of the tour. His remarkable performance has granted him a substantial advantage as the race enters a rest day on Monday.

British sprinter Mark Cavendish, known for holding the all-time stage record with 35 victories, managed to meet the cut-off time, retaining his hope of claiming a final stage win before bidding farewell to the race.

Pogacar's exceptional performances have seemingly put him on an unstoppable path towards reclaiming the Tour de France title. With the upcoming stages set to test the riders even further, cycling fans around the world eagerly await the remaining excitement and surprises the race has to offer.