Stage 13 TDF 2023 Blog: Pole Position

Michal Kwiatskowski (promoting oil and SUVs) registered an impressive win on the top of the Grand Colombier on Stage 13.

He was part of a 20-man breakaway that also included James Shaw, Quentin Pacher and Fred Wright.

On the Grand Colombier, Quentin Pacher attacked but his effort fizzled out and he was caught by Shaw, Maxim van Gils, and Harold Tejada.

Kwiato caught and passed the three leaders and quickly created a significant gap. The bunch were over 3 minutes back.

UAE drove the pace on the front of the bunch. Adam Yates attacked at 2km to go and Sepp Kuss closed the gap.

Pogacar made his move with a few hundred metres left and got a gap over Vingegaard. Pog got a gap of 4s over Jonas at the finish line, and took a 4s time bonus for third place behind Kwiato and van Gils.

Video Highlights

These are video highlights of Stage 13 Tour de France 2023.

The ITV Coverage

It does seem that the ITV commentators are on Team Pogacar. They like him because he behaves like a performing seal.

They don’t like Vingegaard because he does not possess Pinnipedia characteristics. They resent that.

Yes, Jumbo Visma will be disappointed by the time losses today and at Cauterets Cambasque. They think that longer, harder stages – like Stage 14 tomorrow – are more suited to Vingegaard, and the Dane is banking on doing well in the Alps.

Sepp Kuss thinks that the time gaps on the hardest stages could be quite large, and will make 8s look irrelevant.

Jumbo could be right, they could be wrong, but that is their strategy and they have to believe in it because there’s no alternative. If Vingegaard doesn’t win the Tour, it will be because he didn’t have the legs to beat Pogacar, not because he failed to flap his flippers for Ned Boulting and Gary Imlach.

Caleb Ewan abandoned the race today, as did Ben Turner.