Defending champion Tadej Pogacar won stage 17 of the 2022 Tour de France in the Pyrenees on Wednesday, but was once again shadowed over the line by overall leader  Jonas Vingegaard. With the bonus seconds for the win, the UAE Team Emirates rider now trails the Dane by 2:18. Ineos leader Geraint Thomas dug deep to retain third place, zig-zagging over the final 16 percent incline and extending his lead on fourth-placed Nairo Quintana to almost three minutes. At the bottom of the first climb on the packed roads with camper vans and barbecues galore a fan brandished a sign reading ‘The Earth is Flat’, but after the three mountains on the menu almost all the finishers ended lying flat on the floor.

This year’s Tour has entered its end-game with one mountain stage and one time-trial the remaining real battle grounds to settle the debate for the yellow jersey. The relentlessly attack-minded Pogacar, 23, was led up the final climb by his sherpa Brandon McNulty, while willowy 25-year-old Vingegaard remained stone-faced in his slipstream most of the day.

In the battle for third place veteran Thomas, 2018’s champion, again proved doubters wrong has he dug deep after being dropped by the younger leading pair as his teammates Adam Yates and Tom Pidcock dropped away badly. The top three looks settled, but the order remains to be seen with Thursday’s massive mountain slog to Hautacam and Saturday’s 41km time-trial likely to wreak damage on someone.

TOUR DE FRANCE 2022 NEWS

2022 TOUR DE FRANCE STAGE 17 RESULTS

1	Tadej POGAČAR	UAE Team Emirates	3:25:51
2	Jonas VINGEGAARD	Jumbo-Visma	0:00
3	Brandon MCNULTY	UAE Team Emirates	0:32
4	Geraint THOMAS	INEOS Grenadiers	2:07
5	Alexey LUTSENKO	Astana Qazaqstan Team	2:34
6	Romain BARDET	Team DSM	2:38
7	David GAUDU	Groupama – FDJ	3:27
8	Aleksandr VLASOV	BORA – hansgrohe	3:32
9	Louis MEINTJES	Intermarché – Wanty – Gobert Matériaux	3:32
10	Nairo QUINTANA	Team Arkéa Samsic	3:32

OVERALL STANDINGS

1	Jonas VINGEGAARD	Jumbo-Visma	67:53:54
2	Tadej POGAČAR	UAE Team Emirates	2:18
3	Geraint THOMAS	INEOS Grenadiers	4:56
4	Nairo QUINTANA	Team Arkéa Samsic	7:53
5	David GAUDU	Groupama – FDJ	7:57
6	Romain BARDET	Team DSM	9:21
7	Louis MEINTJES	Intermarché – Wanty – Gobert Matériaux	9:24
8	Aleksandr VLASOV	BORA – hansgrohe	9:56
9	Adam YATES	INEOS Grenadiers	14:33
10	Enric MAS	Movistar Team	16:35

RBA/AFP Photos: Sprint Cycling Agency