Obviously not. But, with his dominance of world tour races, perhaps we should consider designing a new garment combining elements of the three jerseys he’s capable of winning.

(Note: if he hadn’t aged out of the Best Young Rider category, he’d lay claim to all four jerseys!)

As I watched him walk onto the podium three times in Caen this morning, I wondered if we couldn’t streamline the awards process a bit by designing a hybrid jersey: one celebrating the overall leader’s yellow jersey, the green jersey of the top sprinter, and the red polka dots of the best climber’s jersey.

My mind’s eye could imagine it, but I suck at drawing. So I did what all the kids do these days – I enlisted AI, specifically Visual Creator M365 Copilot, to do it for me. (My husband helped.)

I was pretty impressed! It’s the first time I’ve used AI to create anything, and, as a writer, I felt a bit conflicted about it. (Rest assured, I have no plans to outsource my blog posts to AI. You’re stuck with my awkward phrasing and run-on sentences. 😊)

What Happened in Stage 5?

The first individual time trial of this year’s Tour went as expected, with Eduardo Affini of Vizma sitting comfortably in the leader’s hot seat for much of the day – until Remco Evenepoel lit up the roads of Caen, shaving 33 seconds off the best time. Pogaçar finished just 16 seconds behind Evenepoel, with Bruno Armirail (Decathlon-AG2R), Kevin Vauquelin (Arkea), and Florian Lipovitz (Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe) all within one minute.

Primoz Rogliç and Jonas Vingegaard lost more time today, finishing at 1:19 and 1:21 behind the winner. Not a great day for either rider but let’s remember that the toughest climbing days lie ahead. Both are formidable in the mountains and could claw back time in weeks two and three. However, Vingegaard will have the full support of a capable team, whereas Rogliç’s backup has been questionable (remember the Giro?)

Here are the Top Ten in the GC standings after Stage 5:

Tadej Pogacar

Remco Evenepoel + 42″

Kevin Vauquelin + 59″

Jonas Vingegaard + 1’13”

Matteo Jorgenson + 1’22”

Mathiu Van Der Poel + 1’28”

Joao Almeida + 1’53”

Primoz Roglic + 2’30”

Florian Lipovitz + 2’31”

Mattias Skjelmose + 2’32”

What About Stage 6?

Thursday will be a long day on the road, with 201 kms of undulating hills including six categorized climbs. Sounds like a day for the breakaway riders, should the teams of the top GC contenders allow such a group to form. I’d love to see young up-and-comers Kevin Vauquelin and Florian Lipovitz get out front and take their chances. (If you hadn’t noticed, I’m a big Vauquelin fangirl, especially after watching the latest season of the Netflix series Tour de France Unchained.)

Regardless of what’s happening in the peloton, we spectators will enjoy the gorgeous countryside once roamed by William the Conqueror. In fact, our starting point is the city of Bayeux, home to the famous Tapestry of Bayeux, which depicts the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. The 230-foot tapestry illustrates the Norman invasion of England and the Battle of Hastings, which resulted in William the Conqueror ousting Harold Godwinson to become the first Norman king of England.

Tour de France By the Glass Recommendation: 2022 Krasno White Wine with Maceration

Okay so, if I’m working on a tripartite jersey representing Tadej Pogaçar’s dominance in all three Tour de France categories, I might as well celebrate him with a wine from his native country of Slovenia. Wine lovers especially appreciate the country’s “orange” wines (white wines that have macerated on the grape skins for an extended period) for their structure and complexity. They are phenomenal food partners!

This wine, from Krasno in Klet Brda, is a unique blend of old vine (15-30 years) Rebula, Sauvignonasse, and Malvasia, each of which was fermented separately: Rebula in wooden containers for 12 months; Sauvignonasse and Malvasia in inox containers for one month. The Rebula was then aged in wooden containers for 12 months; the others in inox containers for 12 months.

Tasting Notes: Perfumed aromas of fresh, ripe apple and pear, with flavors of fruit compote, almonds, and honey. While completely dry, it has a richness that’s very attractive. A hint of tannin on the palate was the perfect balance to the fruit and kept me sipping (and sipping!) Long finish of roasted almond, fresh thyme, and bittersweet fruit was lovely.

Pairing: Fresh salmon glazed with white miso and honey brought out the savory notes in the wine while highlighting the rich and ripe fruit character. Just delicious!

Enjoy Thursday’s race. I’ll be back tomorrow with a recap of Stage 6 and a preview of Stage 7!