Pogacar moves closer to a 3rd Tour de France title after dominant win in the mountains

Tadej Pogacar took a giant step closer to clinching a third Tour de France title after winning another tough mountain stage on Friday, pulling away from Jonas Vingegaard to move five minutes ahead of his main rival with two days left.

The Slovenian looks almost certain to reclaim the Tour crown from Vingegaard, the two-time defending champion from Denmark, who is 5 minutes, 3 seconds behind him. Tour debutant Remco Evenepoel of Belgium is 7:01 adrift in third place.

Pogacar attacked with about 9 kilometers (6 miles) left on the final climb of 16 kilometers (10 miles) to the Isola 2000 ski resort. Vingegaard could not follow as Pogacar chased after the Dane's Jumbo Visma teammate, Matteo Jorgenson. The American rider was alone in front with Richard Carapaz and Simon Yates just behind him.

Carapaz and Yates were caught by Pogacar, leaving just Jorgenson ahead. But he was also overtaken with two kilometers left as Pogacar soared to his fourth stage win at this year's race — holding up four fingers to the fans — and 15th Tour stage victory of his career.

After four hours in the saddle, Pogacar looked behind him one last time but none of his rivals were visible.

He raised both hands in the air as he crossed the line, with Jorgensen finishing 21 seconds behind and Yates 40 seconds back in third. Carapaz was 1:11 back in fourth spot.

Evenepoel placed fifth ahead of a disconsolate Vingegaard, with both riders timed at 1:42 behind Pogacar.

Saturday's 20th and penultimate stage stays in the southern Alps and features three hard category 1 ascents, the last taking the riders up Col de la Couillole.

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

Friday’s high-altitude stage may have been Vingegaard’s last chance to take significant time back from Pogacar.

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

The 145-kilometer (90-mile) trek featured two huge climbs known as “hors categorie” (beyond category).

The first came early in the stage, up Col de Vars, and the second just after halfway through: to Cime de la Bonette, France’s highest road at an altitude of 2,802 meters.

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

After a long descent, there was another hard grind to Isola 2000. Vingegaard could not catch Pogacar and, instead, found himself under pressure from Evenepoel, who just beat him in a sprint to the line.

It was a day to forget for Vingegaard, and another one to savor for Pogacar.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports

Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, celebrates after crossing the finish line to win the nineteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 144.6 kilometers (89.9 miles) with start in Embrun and finish in Isola 2000, France, Friday, July 19, 2024. (Stephane Mahe/Pool Photo via AP)

Stage winner Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, bows when crossing the finish line of the nineteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 144.6 kilometers (89.9 miles) with start in Embrun and finish in Isola 2000, France, Friday, July 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, flashes four finger for his fourth stage win during the nineteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 144.6 kilometers (89.9 miles) with start in Embrun and finish in Isola 2000, France, Friday, July 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Stage winner Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, turns back to see if he has enough lead as he approaches the finish line of the nineteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 144.6 kilometers (89.9 miles) with start in Embrun and finish in Isola 2000, France, Friday, July 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard, wearing the best climber's dotted jersey, follows Britain's Geraint Thomas, second right, and Poland's Michal Kwiatkowski, right, as they ride in the pack with Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, during the nineteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 144.6 kilometers (89.9 miles) with start in Embrun and finish in Isola 2000, France, Friday, July 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, rides with Spain's Mikel Landa, right, as they climb Cime de la Bonette pass, the highest road in Europe with an altitude of 2802 meters, during the nineteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 144.6 kilometers (89.9 miles) with start in Embrun and finish in Isola 2000, France, Friday, July 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the nineteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 144.6 kilometers (89.9 miles) with start in Embrun and finish in Isola 2000, France, Friday, July 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Houston’s suffocating defense wiped away a 14-point deficit over the final eight minutes and erased Cooper Flagg and Duke’s title hopes Saturday night in a 70-67 stunner over the Blue Devils at the Final Four.

Duke made a grand total of one field goal over the last 10 1/2 minutes of this game. The second-to-last attempt during its game-ending 1-for-9 stretch was a step-back jumper in the lane by Flagg that J’Wan Roberts disrupted. The last was a desperation heave by Tyrese Proctor that caught nothing at the buzzer.

It was Roberts’ two free throws with 19.6 seconds left that gave the Cougars their first lead since 6-5. LJ Cryer, who led Houston with 26 points, made two more to push the lead to three. It was Houston’s biggest lead of the night.

“No one ever loses at anything as long as you don’t quit," coach Kelvin Sampson said. "If you quit, you’ve lost.”

The Cougars (35-4), who have never won a title, not even in the days of Phi Slama Jamma, will play Florida on Monday night for the championship.

Florida’s 79-73 win over Auburn in the early game was a free-flowing hoopsfest. This one would’ve looked perfect on a cracked blacktop and a court with chain-link nets.

That’s just how Houston likes it. It closed the game on an 11-1 run, and though Flagg finished with 27 points, he did it on 8-for-19 shooting and never got a good look after his 3 at the 3:02 mark put the Blue Devils (35-4) up by nine.

It looked over at that point. Houston was just getting started.

A team that prides itself on getting three stops in a row — calling the third one the “kill stop” — allowed a measly three free throws down the stretch, one of which came when Joseph Tugler got a technical for batting the ball from a Duke player's hand as he was trying to throw an inbounds pass.

That didn't make it any better for Duke, which had tons of trouble even getting the ball in down the last minute.

Houston finished with six steals and six blocked shots, including four from Tugler, who might be the best shot blocker this program has seen since Hakeem Olajuwon, who was on hand at the Alamodome to see the program's first trip to the final since 1984.

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.

Duke's Cooper Flagg (2) shoots as Houston's Joseph Tugler (11) defends during the second half in the national semifinals at the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Houston's Emanuel Sharp (21) goes up for a shot against Duke during the second half in the national semifinals at the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Duke's Khaman Maluach (9) and a teammate leave the court after Houston beat Duke in the national semifinals at the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Duke's Tyrese Proctor (5) loses the ball as Houston's Joseph Tugler (11) defends during the second half in the national semifinals at the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Duke's Cooper Flagg (2) reacts after being called for a foul against Houston during the second half in the national semifinals at the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Duke forward Cooper Flagg reacts against the Houston during the second half in the national semifinals at the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Houston's J'Wan Roberts (13) celebrates against Duke during the second half in the national semifinals at the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Duke's Cooper Flagg (2) misses a shot as Houston's J'Wan Roberts (13) defends during the second half in the national semifinals at the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Duke forward Cooper Flagg walks off the court after their loss against the Houston in the national semifinals at the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Houston's L.J. Cryer (4) celebrates with teammates after Houston beat Duke in the national semifinals at the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)