As the finish line approached, Tadej Pogacar looked over his shoulder and saw an empty road.

Moments later, he moved a big step closer to a third Tour de France title by winning another gruelling mountain stage on Friday. Pogačar pulled away from Jonas Vingegaard to open a 5 minute, 3 second lead over his main rival with two days to go.

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“Now I have a good lead,” Pogacar said. “I will ride the last two days of the Tour on the roads where I have trained my entire professional career.”

It seems almost certain that the Slovenian will take over the Tour title from Vingegaard, the two-time reigning champion from Denmark, and thereby also secure the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France.

Behind the weak Vingegaard is Tour debutant Remco Evenepoel from Belgium, who is 7:01 behind in third place.

Pogacar attacked with about nine kilometers (six miles) to go on the final 16-kilometer (10-mile) climb to the Isola 2000 ski resort. Vingegaard was unable to follow as Pogacar chased down Danish Jumbo Visma teammate Matteo Jorgenson. The American rider was riding alone in front with Richard Carapaz and Simon Yates close behind.

Carapaz and Yates were passed by Pogacar, leaving just Jorgenson. He was caught with two kilometers to go as the UAE Team Emirates leader soared to his fourth stage win this month — raising four fingers to the fans — and his 15th career Tour stage win.

“As I approached the last two kilometers I felt a bit exhausted. I still passed Richard Carapaz and Simon Yates and I was able to pass Matteo Jorgenson,” Pogacar said. “When it was time to pass him I pushed as hard as I could to pass him with speed. He was very strong today, as were all the guys in the leading group. Kudos to them.”

After four hours in the saddle, Pogacar raised both hands as he crossed the finish line. Jorgensen was 21 seconds behind and Yates 40 seconds back in third. Carapaz was 1:11 back in fourth.

“I knew the last climb of today very well. With the team we planned it well and we did exactly what we said,” said Pogacar. “Our race was 100% perfect.”

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Evenepoel finished fifth, ahead of the inconsolable Vingegaard. Both riders were 1:42 behind Pogacar.

Saturday’s twentieth and penultimate stage remains in the southern Alps and features three tough category 1 climbs, the last of which climbs the Col de la Couillole.

The Tour ends on Sunday on the French Riviera with a time trial from Monaco to Nice, and not in Paris as usual because of the Olympic Games.

Friday’s high-altitude stage was possibly Vingegaard’s last chance to make up a lot of time on Pogacar.

Two of Vingegaard’s Visma teammates — Jorgensen and Dutchman Wilko Kelderman — positioned themselves at the front of a small breakaway and set a solid pace in the warm conditions.

The 145-kilometre (90-mile) ride included two massive climbs known as ‘hors categorie’ (beyond category).

The first came early in the stage, via the Col de Vars, and the second just after the halfway point, to Cime de la Bonette, the highest road in France at an altitude of 2,802 metres.

Despite having two riders in front, Vingegaard did not attack Pogacar.

After a long descent, there was another tough battle on the way to Isola 2000. Vingegaard was unable to catch Pogacar and instead came under pressure from Evenepoel, who narrowly beat him in a sprint to the finish.

For Vingegaard it was a day to quickly forget, but for Pogacar it was one to savour.

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“To win 15 Tour stages is quite an achievement,” he said.

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Evenepoel finished fifth, ahead of the inconsolable Vingegaard. Both riders were 1:42 behind Pogacar.

Saturday’s twentieth and penultimate stage remains in the southern Alps and features three tough category 1 climbs, the last of which climbs the Col de la Couillole.

The Tour ends on Sunday on the French Riviera with a time trial from Monaco to Nice, and not in Paris as usual because of the Olympic Games.

Friday’s high-altitude stage was possibly Vingegaard’s last chance to make up a lot of time on Pogacar.

Two of Vingegaard’s Visma teammates — Jorgensen and Dutchman Wilko Kelderman — positioned themselves at the front of a small breakaway and set a solid pace in the warm conditions.

The 145-kilometre (90-mile) ride included two massive climbs known as ‘hors categorie’ (beyond category).

The first came early in the stage, via the Col de Vars, and the second just after the halfway point, to Cime de la Bonette, the highest road in France at an altitude of 2,802 metres.

Despite having two riders in front, Vingegaard did not attack Pogacar.

After a long descent, there was another tough battle on the way to Isola 2000. Vingegaard was unable to catch Pogacar and instead came under pressure from Evenepoel, who narrowly beat him in a sprint to the finish.

For Vingegaard it was a day to quickly forget, but for Pogacar it was one to savour.