Pogačar Wins Stage 7 & Dominates Dauphiné GC
Tadej Pogačar seized victory in Stage 7 of the Critérium du Dauphiné, demonstrating his cycling prowess by dominating the mountain stage and extending his lead in the general classification (GC). His strategic attack and powerful performance left rivals trailing, including a valiant effort from Jonas Vingegaard, who ultimately secured second place. Pogačar’s impressive victory showcased his role as a top contender, solidifying his position. track the race highlights and analysis on News Directory 3 for exclusive insights. What will Pogačar do next?
Pogačar triumphs in Dauphiné stage, extends overall lead
Updated June 14, 2025
Tadej Pogačar of UAE Team Emirates-XRG showcased his dominance at the Critérium du Dauphiné, securing a second mountain stage win on Stage 7. This victory further solidified his lead in the general classification (GC) over Jonas Vingegaard of Visma-Lease A Bike.
The decisive move came with 12 kilometers remaining on the final climb to Valmeinier 1800. Pogačar countered an attack by Vingegaard’s teammate, Sepp Kuss, surging ahead of the GC contenders.
Vingegaard and Florian Lipowitz (Red bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) pursued pogačar, while Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) struggled to keep pace. Vingegaard launched a solo effort in the final 10 kilometers of the hors-catégorie climb but couldn’t close the gap, settling for second place.
“We wanted to control all the climbs, but Visma tried with attacks,” Pogačar said after the stage. “I was happy with how Pavel [Sivakov] and the team rode. It was defence, to not get attacked. So, I launched it and maintained a good pace.I was really happy to defend the jersey like this.”
Pogačar noted the aggressive tactics, saying, “They attacked toward the top of the Croix de Fer, and I think they wanted to drop me on the downhill. They went a little bit perilous in the first kilometers. I didn’t like that, but it’s modern cycling.”
Vingegaard crossed the finish line 14 seconds after Pogačar, extending the GC gap to 1:01 ahead of the final stage. Lipowitz finished third, 1:21 behind, maintaining his podium position. Evenepoel finished fifth, 2:39 behind Pogačar, after slipping behind Tobias Halland johannessen (Uno-X Mobility).
The top four in the general classification remain unchanged heading into the final stage. Pogačar leads Vingegaard by 1:01, with Lipowitz 2:21 behind. Evenepoel is now a distant fourth, 4:11 off the lead. Johannessen’s strong performance moved him to fifth 5:55 behind Pogačar.
What’s next
The final stage will test the riders one last time, but Pogačar appears poised to secure the overall Critérium du Dauphiné title, adding another victory to his extraordinary season.