Tadej POGACAR. 10 and praise. Sublime and majestic, like the landscape that welcomes him. It's not Tadej conquering Hautacam, but this Pyrenean peak bowing before a talent for which we struggle to find words. Tadej makes less effort to crumble the Visma ambitions, which are mortified today. Tadej lets them talk and do, then it's sufficient with Narvaez's crazy acceleration to launch the captain. Jonas doesn't respond. He can't, it's not convenient, he can't manage. Tadej excels, starting like a rocket 12 km from the finish line: triumphal parade. Celestial ascent.

Jonas VINGEGAARD. 5. He gives everything he has, he does everything he can, tries to put pressure with words, but then legs are needed. In this Tour he seemed "pogacarized", very exuberant and reactive, even in stages where it was better to stay covered. He reveals himself immediately: also today. And for him, it's not a nice discovery.

Florian LIPOWITZ. 10. Could go even better, if he didn't have to wait for Roglic. He delivers a monster performance that elevates him to absolute protagonist of this Tour. Red Bull has found the man who can guarantee the future.

Tobias JOHANNESSEN. 7.5. The Norwegian from Uno X once again proves he has legs and temperament. Up there, only the true ones arrive and he is truly true.

Oscar ONLEY. 9. Take note, this guy has temperament to spare and his legs are no longer a mystery. His endurance? We'll discover it. Patience.

Remco EVENEPOEL. 9. For mind and clarity, he's simply crazy. He goes into difficulty immediately and I won't hide that I think: today he'll sink. He has absolute mental strength, an absolute ability to reason and manage critical situations. We're not discovering this today, but he surprises me every time. There are many ways to win, but also to lose. And he's fantastic: always.

Kevin VAUQUELIN. 8. Bravo, the French would say, and I say it too. Really good, this guy who keeps the Gallic honor high.

Primoz ROGLIC. 6. He's the oldest of them all, he has his years, but his desire remains the same. It's true, he loses, but he's there.

Ben HEALY. 4. This is him. An impulsive rider, guided by instinct. But to be a Grand Tour rider, you need warm legs and a cool head. He detaches almost immediately on a climb still far from the finish but stubbornly remains a few seconds from the tail of the best group with myopic obstinacy. He should look at how Remco Evenepoel manages himself, who detaches before him and proceeds a little better, with exemplary effort management. You'll tell me: but he's not Remco. Clear: so what is he?

Enric MAS. 3. Dissolved. Evaporated on the Pyrenean roads of Hautacam. He was 13th in the general classification. Today: Where is he?

Lenny MARTINEZ. 5. Bad day. He tries to move forward with work, but as soon as the road starts to climb, he boils over. It's true that they arrive at the foot of the mountains at 50 km/h, but for someone aiming for the polka dot jersey, it's a bit early.

Marco HALLER. 6.5. They are the fastest of all. They are the most eager and ready to go after a few meters. It's the Swiss Tudor rider who dares, immediately followed by Pascal Eenkhoorn (Soudal), Alexandre Delettre (TotalEnergies) and Alexey Lutsenko (Israel). First breakaway, first action canceled.

Samuele PRIVITERA. ... praise. The Tour remembers and pays homage to his brothers, to the great cycling family, even the smallest, the most invisible, the most distant. A minute of our life to emphasize the eternal void that Samuele Privitera will forever leave for those who loved him, for those who sincerely cared for him. The cycling world has greeted one of its sons, one of its brothers, a true lover of our sport who dreamed one day of pedaling on the roads of Giro and Tour. Jayco AlUla raced for him with a black armband and a suppressed lump in the heart as strong as the love for the bicycle, the same as Samuele's.