On the opening day of the race in the Alps, Poland’s Kwiatkowski, 33, rode unimpeded up the challenging 17.4km climb to the summit finish on Grand Colombier.
In the final 400 meters, Pogacar, a two-time race winner, launched an explosive attack that allowed him to pull away from Vingegaard.
That decreased the lead held by the reigning champion from 17 seconds to nine.
After his UAE Team Emirates team had set the tempo up the final hill, Slovenia’s Pogacar was able to gain four seconds on the road and the final of the bonus seconds.
Kwiatkowski, an Ineos Grenadiers rider, first took off in a strong 19-man breakaway on the flat opening of the 137.8-kilometer stage from Chatillon-Sur-Chalaronne, but they were unable to catch him.
Kwiatkowski, who timed his effort well, accelerated past a group that included British rookie James Shaw. “We had a nice advantage before the final climb,” he added.
“That was a bizarre event. Although the break had a free pass to the bottom of the climb, I didn’t believe we could get it to the finish line because UAE was lagging far behind.
I learned that my legs were the best I’d ever had. I didn’t think it was even conceivable. The last ascent was quite difficult and took a lot of work.
The only other stage win for Kwiatkowski at the Tour was in La Roche-sur-Foron in 2020.
After winning on Bastille Day on the Alpe d’Huez a year prior, Tom Pidcock, a former world champion who frequently played the superdomestique, delivered once more for the British squad.
The Ineos Grenadiers had a successful day as Pidcock crossed the finish line nine seconds behind Vingegaard in fifth place and Carlos Rodriguez finished 11th, another 17 seconds back.
Shaw finished in a respectable seventh place, and his countrymen Simon and Adam Yates crossed the finish line in ninth and tenth place, respectively, to pass Spanish rider Pello Bilbao in the rankings for the general classification.
The second of three subsequent mountain stages, which will take place on Saturday, appears to be a deciding factor in the race for this year’s yellow jersey.
Four categorize hills are present on the 151.8-kilometer route from Annemasse to Morzine Les Portes du Soleil before the hors categorie Col de Joux Plane and a swift descent to the finish line.
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