Stage 18 DS Insights Review

🚴‍♂️ Stage 18 Tour de France

Col de la Madeleine → Col du Glandon → Col de la Loze

Queen Stage. Pure GC war. Big climbs. Big gaps.

🏁 Stage Top 5 Finishers

Rank    Rider    Team   Time Gap

1️⃣         Ben O’Connor                Jayco AlUla      —

2️⃣         Tadej Pogačar               UAE Team Emirates   +1’45”

3️⃣         Jonas Vingegaard        Visma Lease a Bike +1’54”

4️⃣         Oscar Onley    Team Picnic PostNL  +1’58”

5️⃣         Einer Rubio     Movistar Team              +2’00”

🧠 DS Tactics & Talking Points

Visma’s Confusing Strategy (Again):

Matteo Jorgenson was sent up the road with O’Connor and Rubio. But when they were reeled back, he sat up and had zero impact for Vingegaard. For a team fighting for yellow, these efforts must count.

Pogačar Dominance Continues:

UAE’s leader is in complete control, growing stronger by the day. KOM points collected today all but seal the jersey.

Onley Rising:

A spectacular ride has moved Oscar Onley back into white jersey contention. If he sticks with the GC group tomorrow, we could see a jersey swap.

Martinez’s KOM Dreams Fading:

Martinez had no legs today and was also docked 8 KOM points for a “sticky bottle” infraction.

👉 Sticky bottle = prolonged handout from a team car giving an unfair tow.

His KOM journey is effectively over.

🟡 General Classification – Top 5

Rank    Rider    Team   Time

1️⃣         Tadej Pogačar               UAE Team Emirates – XRG    66:55’42”

2️⃣         Jonas Vingegaard        Visma Lease a Bike +4’26”

3️⃣         Florian Lipowitz            Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe             +11’01”

4️⃣         Oscar Onley    Picnic PostNL                 +11’23”

5️⃣         Primoz Roglic              Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe +12’49”

🔴 KOM Jersey (Red Icon) – Top 5

Rank    Rider    Team   Points

1️⃣         Tadej Pogačar               UAE Team Emirates   105

2️⃣         Jonas Vingegaard        Visma Lease a Bike 89

3️⃣         Lenny Martinez             Bahrain – Victorious  72

4️⃣         Thymen Arensman     INEOS Grenadiers       65

5️⃣         Ben O’Connor                Jayco AlUla      51

🟢 Green Jersey – Points Classification (Corrected)

Rank    Rider    Team   Points

1️⃣         Jonathan Milan             Lidl – Trek         332

2️⃣         Tadej Pogačar               UAE Team Emirates – XRG    257

3️⃣         Biniam Girmay              Intermarché – Wanty 196

4️⃣         Jonas Vingegaard        Visma Lease a Bike 165

5️⃣         Tim Merlier       Soudal Quick-Step     156

🗣 “Plenty of sore legs after this one. Recovery tonight is critical — tomorrow’s mountains will hurt even more.”

🤍 White Jersey – Young Rider Classification

Rank    Rider    Team   Gap

1️⃣         Florian Lipowitz            Red Bull – BORA – Hansgrohe             —

2️⃣         Oscar Onley    Team Picnic PostNL  +0’22”

3️⃣         Kévin Vauquelin           Arkéa – B&B Hotels    +5’14”

4️⃣         Ben Healy         EF Education – EasyPost        +14’40”

👥 Team Classification – Top 3

Rank    Team   Time Gap

1️⃣         Team Visma|Lease a Bike

2️⃣         UAE Team Emirates   +14’00”

3️⃣         Red Bull – BORA – Hansgrohe            +1:03:46