It really is remarkable that we are seeing such a close duel for the 2nd (3rd if you want) year in a row. I stay wary on how this rivalry will develop just because two riders dueling each other for years with nobody having a clear upper hand would go so much against the history of cycling. Right now I'm really not able to call who of the two will end up the more succesful gc rider and I can see both of them fighting for Tour wins for years to come, but as written in the OP, that would be completely unprecedented.
As for this Tour, I want to remain cautious. I think you shouldn't overreact to a rider gaining 8 seconds, but I have to really remind myself on that. You just cannot help but notice that the momentum swung from a rider who dominated a preparation race a month ago to a guy who came into the Tour with practically 0 racing in over 2 months. You would expect the momentum of those riders to kinda swing from the former to the latter. The fact this has already happened in week one cannot be a good sign for Vingegaard.
But then again, it was 8 seconds. Vingegaard only needs to have a good TT and stick to Pogacar's wheel for the remaining race and he wins. Stages 6 and 9 can easily be put down to him needlessly emptying himself on the Tourmalet and slightly bad legs yesterday. Do I actually believe that's what happened? I don't know, but I simply cannot ignore just how badly Pogacar got demolished on stage 5 as if it never happened. I have never seen the momentum swing from that kind of dominance to the other rider being straight up better within one day. I cannot get that out of my mind.
As for this Tour, I want to remain cautious. I think you shouldn't overreact to a rider gaining 8 seconds, but I have to really remind myself on that. You just cannot help but notice that the momentum swung from a rider who dominated a preparation race a month ago to a guy who came into the Tour with practically 0 racing in over 2 months. You would expect the momentum of those riders to kinda swing from the former to the latter. The fact this has already happened in week one cannot be a good sign for Vingegaard.
But then again, it was 8 seconds. Vingegaard only needs to have a good TT and stick to Pogacar's wheel for the remaining race and he wins. Stages 6 and 9 can easily be put down to him needlessly emptying himself on the Tourmalet and slightly bad legs yesterday. Do I actually believe that's what happened? I don't know, but I simply cannot ignore just how badly Pogacar got demolished on stage 5 as if it never happened. I have never seen the momentum swing from that kind of dominance to the other rider being straight up better within one day. I cannot get that out of my mind.