Tadej Pogacar pointed to the sky when he crossed the finish line and he finished his post-stage interview by dedicating his victory to 19-year-old Italian rider Samuele Privitera, who has died following an accident during the first stage of the Giro della Valle d’Aosta, an Under-23 event.

One day after crashing, the 3-time champion powers through the Pyrenees to overtake Ben Healy and put himself 3½ minutes of main rival Jonas Vingegaard.

While many wondered if he would be slowed due to a crash Wednesday, Pogačar instead put himself in prime position for his fourth Tour victory.