Gall on untouchable Vingegaard after climbing back to third: 'It's a race for the podium for me'

With almost 4,000m of climbing on the menu and with high temperatures, it was a very difficult stage, one which pushed Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM) to his limits, but ultimately with a positive outcome. 

“I’m happy again that I had a high level. I was not feeling super good today with the heat, and I mean, yeah, some days it's a bit easier, you know, and then others you have to work a bit harder,” Gall told reporters, including Domestique.

“Yeah, I was suffering a lot. I think I was also dying a little bit then in the last few kilometres. But I made time on the guys except for Jonas," added Gall. 

With Visma | Lease a Bike controlling the tempo throughout the stage and the difficulty of the stage, everybody was bracing for an attack from Vingegaard. Gall knew he wanted to be on the wheel when Vingegaard made his move. 

He was successful in his attempt as he was the only rider to withstand the final efforts of Davide Piganzoli before Vingegaard launched his attack. 

However, Gall knew immediately that he couldn’t respond and would have to settle into his own rhythm. 

“I was hoping I would be in the position to be in his wheel, but then, yeah, I could already feel that I'm not even going to try,” explained Gall.


”I think it would have been a bit too risky, I just didn’t have the legs and also with the heat. So I immediately settled into my own pace. It was nice that I had no one on my wheel so I could focus on myself.”

As Vingegaard sailed off in the distance for the stage win, Gall had to remain focused to fend off the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe duo of Jai Hindley and Giulio Pellizzari, as well as Piganzoli, who was able to hold the Austrian’s wheel for a period.

In the end, Gall finished 9 seconds ahead of Hindley and 14 seconds ahead of Pellizzari and Piganzoli. 14 stages deep into a Grand Tour, the picture is much clearer regarding those whom Gall knows he needs to beat to secure his first Grand Tour podium.

“Yeah, I mean, of course I think this is the whole objective here for the three weeks, and yeah, I mean there is no point in thinking of beating Jonas. It's more of a race for the podium for me,” said Gall.

Gall was asked if this means he has conceded defeat on trying to beat Vingegaard. The Austrian explained that he will continue to give it his all, but acknowledged the supreme level of the Dane compared to the rest of the field. 

“Well, no. I mean, I'm not giving up, but I can only do my best every day,” said Gall. “We’ve had three mountain top finishes, and I don’t think I was anywhere near him, like especially today, it’s 49 seconds, but I think there’s no shame in that.”

In the overall standings, Gall leapt back into third, now 2:50 behind Vingegaard, and just 24 seconds behind Afonso Eulálio (Bahrain-Victorious). 

The Austrian knows there’s still plenty of work to do in the third week, with Thymen Arensman just 13 seconds behind in fourth, but for the third summit finish, Gall has been the best of the rest behind Vingegaard.