"Stop, stop, stop! Everyone stop pedaling immediately": the peloton pays respect to Pogacar

In a gesture that has been widely praised for its sportsmanship, Tour de France leader Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) took the initiative to slow down the peloton after the fall of Slovenian Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) in the final kilometers of stage 11.

Ben Healy was responsible for slowing down the peloton as a sign of respect for Pogacar

According to EF team confirmed to Cyclingnews, it was an exclusively personal decision of the Irish cyclist, who exercised his leadership authority with respect and firmness.

“That was Ben. He just came up and basically told everyone to stop, because pushing on with Pogačar on the ground was crap. And I agree with him.” The team manager, Jonathan Vaughters, explained that the request to stop “did not come over the radio or was not an order from the team”, but a direct act of Healy:

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Healy's gesture, who wears the yellow jersey for the first time in his career, refers to an almost lost tradition in the peloton: that of the "boss" who imposes respect when needed. “There is still some respect for the yellow jersey in the Tour”, Vaughters acknowledged.

Soudal-QuickStep also confirmed a similar attitude from Remco Evenepoel. The Belgian, one of the favorites for the podium, was among the first to stop when he heard about the incident.

His teammate Ilan Van Wilder, in statements to Sporza, described how they experienced the moment: “Honestly, I didn't know that Pogačar had fallen, until Remco shouted: 'Stop, stop, stop!'. We all stopped pedaling immediately. I value fair play. If it happened to me, I would also like them to do the same.”

The stage did not alter the general classification. Healy maintained his leadership and confidently faces the mountain stages in the Pyrenees.