Around 6:30pm on Sunday evening, at roughly the same time that Jonas Vingegaard was visiting the Tour de France's medical vehicle just outside its main media centre for definitive confirmation of his broken collarbone, journalists inside were hearing Tadej Pogačar give a video-linked post-stage press conference discussing Vingegaard's absence.
The Slovenian's comments were succinct but heartfelt, making it clear that the link between himself and the rider two years his senior was much more than just having Vingegaard as his most tenacious rival in this year's battle. But in essence, it boiled down to one very simple phrase Pogačar made about the Visma-Lease a Bike leader: "The Tour won't be the same without him."
