"You have to be positive, otherwise we wouldn't even start the Tour after the Dauphiné, you know?" said Sepp Kuss, one of Vingegaard's longest-standing domestiques, also saying, "You can never be surprised anymore" about Pogačar's dominant ride on stage 12.

While Tadej Pogacar has been enjoying a dream Tour de France run this year, his main rival Jonas Vingegaard and his once almighty team are now closer to third than first place after just one high mountain stage on Thursday.

Vingegaard simply couldn't hold onto the attack Pogačar put in at the bottom of the Hautacam, and ended up finishing second, but 2:10 down on the Slovenian, dropping to 3:31 down on the overall. He's still in the runner-up spot, but Visma are looking at a very tough-to-fix deficit.

Jonas Vingegaard's wife Trine was brutally honest in her assessment of the Visma-Lease cycling team, as she blamed them for pushing her husband too far.

Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease A Bike) riding his teammate Jan Tranik's bike (Image credit: Getty Images) After suffering a tyre puncture halfway in the gravel-packed chaotic Tour de France stage 9

Rainbow jersey and defending champion Pogacar is the outright favourite to win another Tour - but there are ways Vingegaard can break him down

1. Tadej Pogacar, Slovenia, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, 23:00. 2. Jonas Vingegaard, Denmark, Team Visma ' Lease a Bike, 23:36. 3. Primoz Roglic, Slovenia, Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe, 24:20. 4. Florian Lipowitz, Germany, Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe, 24:56.

Tadej Pogačar won the mountain time trial to Peyragudes. The Slovenian dominated, winning by 36 seconds from his main rival Jonas Vingegaard.

Lease a Bike was dealt a serious blow on Thursday in the first mountain stage between Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar. The Danish leader of the Dutch team lost more than two minutes, but his teammates remain confident in him.