Passy to Combloux (22.4km Individual Time Trial)
Vingegaard trounces rivals in ITT.
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) efforts to claw back seconds on his Danish rival looked in vain after Jonas Vingegaard rode home a 1’28” gain in the Stage 16 Individual Time Trial. It was Jumbo Visma’s first stage win despite Vingegaard leading the race since Stage 6.
The course
The stage was a 22.4km individual time trial that featured a flat and fast start, a downhill section through Sallanches, a power section on a false flat to Domancy, and a final climb to the finish line in Combloux. The climb was the Category 2 Côte de Domancy, which was 2.5km long with an average gradient of 9.4%. The stage was expected to favor the GC contenders over the time trial specialists, especially those who could handle the steep slopes and the change of pace.
The winner
The stage was won by the yellow jersey holder Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), who produced a blistering ride to take a giant step towards being crowned champion for a second consecutive year. The Danish rider flew out of the blocks and never let up, setting the fastest times at all three checkpoints and finishing in 32min 36sec. He was 1min 38sec faster than his closest rival Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), who caught his two-minute man Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers) but could not match Vingegaard’s pace. It was Vingegaard’s first time trial victory in the Tour de France and arguably the greatest performance of his life.
The podium
The second place on the stage went to Pogačar, who had to settle for second best after dominating the race last year. The Slovenian rider still put in a solid effort, but he was clearly not at his best and lost time on every section of the course. He now trails Vingegaard by 1min 48sec in the overall standings, with only two mountain stages and a flat finale left to try and close the gap.
The third place on the stage went to Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), who showed his versatility once again by delivering a strong time trial after two second spots earlier in the race. The Belgian rider was still one minute 13 seconds seconds slower than Pogačar at the finish line and a 2’51” behind Vingegaard.
The top five
The top five on the stage were:
| Position | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jonas Vingegaard | Jumbo-Visma | 32min 36sec |
| 2 | Tadej Pogačar | UAE Team Emirates | +1min 38sec |
| 3 | Wout van Aert | Jumbo-Visma | +1min 42sec |
| 4 | Adam Yates | UAE Team Emirates | +2min 12sec |
| 5 | Carlos Rodriguez | Ineos Grenadiers | +2min 18sec |
The top five in the overall standings after stage 16 were:
| Position | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jonas Vingegaard | Jumbo-Visma | 63hr 06min 53sec |
| 2 | Tadej Pogačar | UAE Team Emirates | +1min 48sec |
| 3 | Adam Yates | UAE Team Emirates | +8min 52sec |
| 4 | Carlos Rodriguez | Ineos Grenadiers | +8min 57sec |
| 5 | Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious) +9min 13sec |
Stage 16 Top 10 and GC