Pogacar looks forward to the time trial, while Vingegaard is happy with the rest day: this is what the top riders say after Mont-Blanc

Despite an 'improvised' tactical battle on Mont-Blanc, Tadej Pogacar was unable to create a gap on his main rival Jonas Vingegaard. The ten-second gap between these leading contenders in the rankings remains unchanged. The two riders are evenly matched and are already looking forward to the third week.

"We tried to make the final climb hard," Pogacar said to Eurosport. "I felt that Jonas is in great shape, and I knew I couldn't drop him after an easy race. We had to improvise, and racing this way was also good for Adam Yates. He is now getting closer to the podium." Pogacar refers to a surprising moment two kilometers before the finish where he let his British teammate ride away, and he and Vingegaard engaged in a game of poker. Neither of them overplayed their cards and they crossed the finish line side by side.

After two weeks, the gap between Vingegaard and Pogacar is still just ten seconds. The time trial on Tuesday will likely change that. "We'll see how my legs will feel. Only Adam and I will need to go full throttle from our team. The others essentially have two rest days, so to speak. I know the time trial well. I hope the course suits me well. In any case, I think it's a beautiful course, and I can't wait to start," said Pogacar.

Vingegaard: "It keeps getting better for the spectators" 

In an official statement through the Tour de France channels, Jonas Vingegaard expressed feeling more in control than in previous days. "It was again a beautiful battle between the two of us. It keeps getting better for the spectators this way! I felt that I had control over the situation more than before. We can be happy with this stage. I'm glad there's a rest day coming; it will be good for my legs." Vingegaard concludes with an urgent message to the fans along the route. "Enjoy the race, but please don't stand on the road and throw beer on us."