Armstrong dumbfounded by Pogacar's response: "I don't know how he can say that after this stage"

The eleventh stage of the Tour de France towards Le Lioran unfolded on Wednesday into a spectacular duel between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, which was discussed for hours afterwards. In the THEMOVE podcast, former riders Lance Armstrong, Bradley Wiggins, and George Hincapie discussed the spectacular stage through the Central Massif.

Hincapie compared the stage to the movie Rocky. "Pogacar was throwing uppercuts at Vingegaard, and we all thought he was knocked out after that devastating attack, but then Vingegaard came back." Armstrong agreed. "The momentum has shifted. This was really a big day for Jonas, perhaps the most important of his Tour career."

Armstrong and Wiggins see contradictions in Pogacar

On the other end of the spectrum is Pogacar, who received criticism from Armstrong. The American saw 'delusions' in the Slovenian yellow jersey wearer from UAE-Team Emirates. "In the interview afterwards, he said it was a good stage, but I don't know how someone can look back and then say it was a good day," he judged.

Wiggins also saw doubt in the interview with Pogacar. "He was asked whether he has now lost the psychological battle, and he replied: No, I have not. But what he did in the stage means that Vingegaard is in his head. So, actually, that interview was full of contradictions. His style is that he always goes, and that's why everyone loves him, but now it might have been a weakness."

The Brit would have handled it differently. "With more than thirty kilometers to the finish, the peloton still consisted of ten riders, with Pogacar having two teammates with him. But actually, he should have just let the breakaway go and saved his teammates for the tough days ahead. I don't know what Tadej specifically wanted, maybe he could have gained thirty or forty seconds on his closest rivals."