The summit of Hautacam in the Pyrenees was a realistic last chance for two-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogachar (UAE Team Emirates) to challenge race leader Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbu Visma) for the maillot jaune.

But after four hours of racing, the Slovenian's dream of a podium finish in Paris disappeared as Vingegaard not only withstood a storm of attacks on stage 18, but also rode alone to the finish to extend his GC lead to 3:26.

Vingegaard, who had held off Pogachar in last week's Col de Granon and entered the stage with a 2:18 lead, fended off five attacks from the 23-year-old on the final climb, the Col de Spandel.

He then narrowly escaped a crash on a tricky descent, but Pogachar was not so lucky. [Vingegaard eventually finished 1:04 ahead of Pogachar, and the 2022 Tour de France title was all but assured. After the stage, Vingegaard thanked the Jumbo-Visma team profusely for their "masterpiece" that rivaled Granon's.

"That's a nice way of putting it. It's a masterpiece, like the jersey we have," Vingegaard said.

"I think the whole team was strong today. I think the whole team was strong today. Everyone was great. I owe this win to the team.

"You saw Wout drop Tadei Pogachal at the end. Sepp Kusu was fantastic. Teesuji (Benoot), Christophe (Laporte), Nathan (van Hooydonk), everyone was great. I really appreciate my teammates. I could never have done it without them

"Today and the two stages in Granon are really good examples of how strong this team is. We were able to have the best rider in the world, Wout Van Aert, as a helper. Not only Wout, but everyone was incredibly strong. So I have to thank the team many times for this victory."

Vingegaard fended off several attacks from Pogačar on this stage, following the offensive set up by the Slovenians on the previous stages to Alpe d'Huez, Mende, Foix, and Peyragudo.

However, since earning a yellow eight days earlier, Vingegaard had never felt particularly comfortable in matching Pogachar's every move and defending his lead.

On the Spandale downhill, Vingegaard kept control of his bike as he turned the corner. A few minutes later, Pogachar, his only downhill companion, overcooked in a corner and slipped in a gravel patch.

Vingegaard confirmed that he was unharmed after the mishap, making the rest of the race down the valley a little easier.

"I dropped the chain and then tried to pedal," Vingegaard said of the mishap. 'Of course, there was no friction on the chain and the rear wheel slipped. I was a little freaked out, but I'm glad I made it back to Taddei."

"I think Taddei went a little too fast in one corner and made a little mistake. He then went out into a gravel ditch and then tried to get back onto the road. It was unfortunate for Taddeji, but of course I waited for him."

Shortly after Pogachar's last attack of the day, and perhaps the last attack of the entire Tour, fear set in.

All five of these attacks (from 7km from the summit of Spandale to the last few meters of the first-class mountain) were directly on the wheels of Vingegaard's white jersey.

After Granon, Vingegaard followed Pogachar again and again. In Hautacam, he went up the road for the first time, albeit after Pogachar had cracked once more.

"Of course, attacking is different than defending. 'So it's a different mentality. On defense you try to get in the circle, and on attack you try to drop everyone in the circle. [I don't think we needed to attack. I think we should have kept a steady pace. We did the same thing. Taddei said over the radio that he was at his limit. Wout gave it his all and Taddei dropped off.

"I had that feeling on the last climb, so I might have tried to attack later. But I didn't need to attack."

It was Van Aert, the reigning green jersey champion, who beat Pogachar for the second time in this Tour. Pogachar had had enough and all that was left was for Vingegaard to break away and take his second stage win of this Tour.

Van Aert's strength on this stage - the attack at kilometer zero, the breakaway, the lead over Spandale, and Pogachar's crack at Hautacam - made Vingegaard ask, "Is there any chance of a team leader rivalry between the two in the future?

"I guess you'd have to ask (Jumbo Visma DS) Merijn Zeeman about that," Vingegaard joked. Wout is, of course, one of the best riders in the world on all terrains." But I don't think Wout has the ambition to go for the GC, so I don't see a problem."

"If he's up for it, we can share the leadership. This year I shared with Primosch [Roglic] and I think it's better to go with two leaders in the end."

.