An “imbecile” spectator, Pogacar’s “instinct” and Vingegaard’s calm: “He is not lost”

The image of the day was the full happiness of Tadej Pogacar at the top of Pla d’Adet, always his inseparable Joseba ready to provide first aid on arrival. But the joy was not only that of triumph, nor even that of the bite of the Jonas Vingegaard in general. Beau He had done it his way and didn’t let them criticize him for playing defensively. “It’s hard for me to contain myself,” he had warned in the morning as he left Pau. From words to actions, from plans to “instinct.”

Because… “The idea was to win the stage by sprinting in the final part to gain a few bonus seconds,” he admitted without embarrassment while everyone imagined that Saint Lary Soulain had been an ode to the strategy of the United Arab Emirates. “But winning like that is much better. This Tour must be very entertaining on television…” joked the one who improvised, the one who thought coldly with his pulse racing.

Oddly enough, it is the absence of Juan Ayusowithdrawn the day before due to covid, which triggered the events. After the incredible work of the giant Policy – “It’s incredible,” he praised one of his great recruits, “stolen” from Bora, the Slovenian – Tadej was missing parts on the final climb. “I felt great. João [Almeida] He was already attacking hard with eight kilometers to go. I saw the opportunity Adam [Yates] attacked in search of a stage win, freeing us from the duty of leading the group. Seeing that no man in the general classification was moving, I saw the opportunity to attack according to my instinct, to join Adam and to take a nice advantage for the general classification in addition to the stage win. I want to emphasize my gratitude to Adam for his work,” Pogacar explained in detail.

Tadej is driven by passion, the desire to express his power, the pleasure of winning. He is not thinking about what comes next, in Sunday’s stage, five climbs and almost 5,000 meters of cumulative elevation gain to the Plateau de Beille. Nor in the Alps next week, where he has lost his last two Tours. Not even in the fatigue that could appear after his boasting on the Giro. He is not even thinking about revenge against his sworn enemy, a Vingegaard who looked menacing in the Massif Central, as if there were no trace of that brutal fall in Itzulia three months ago that had him hospitalized and disrupted all his plans. “It’s not revenge. Cycling is not a war, it’s the game we play. Sometimes you lose and sometimes you win…”, he said.

Yates explained along similar lines, as surprised as anyone by the events of another unforgettable day. “It was a bit of an improvisation. I was ready to follow normally and he told me to attack. ‘What are you talking about?’ So I attacked and looked back a few times to see where I was,” the Briton told Eurosport.

But once the euphoria has passed, Pogacar’s astonishing data on the climb (much faster than Armstrong’s years ago), what awaits us remains. And despite the advantage of almost two minutes, no one still considers the Tour doomed to failure. Not even Vingegaard himself. “Losing time is never positive, but I put in a good performance,” said the Visma player. “In the moments when the slope was hardest, he reduced, but in the flattest sections they favored him. The difference is significant, but it is not lost. “I think I was more disappointed in the Galibier stage,” he said.

A feeling that confirmed Mikel Landaremembering the precedents. “We have to be careful. Last year, Vingegaard took seven minutes on Pogacar in two days. We see that both are a notch above Remco in the mountains, so we will try to defend the podium and fight for a stage,” he said. media. The Spaniards on the finish line. His work alongside Evenepoel is incredible for someone who has made headlines. The Belgian, for his first Tour, continues the fight for the podium. “Fourth place is four minutes behind me, which is a good advantage. As for Tadej and Jonas, they have more experience and more power than me. I will continue to fight for the podium. With Jonas, you never know “He is not very far from me and he must have realized that Tadej is very strong. “He might start running defensively and that will allow me to aspire to more,” explained the Soudal player.

A day that had its negative side. In the last kilometers, a spectator dedicated himself to playing with the integrity of the favorites. First with Pogacar (he bothered him with a sack of potatoes), then with Vingegaard, even touching their faces in the middle of the effort. The official account of the Tour in Also president of the Riders’ Association, Adam Hansenwho said the organization would take legal action against the spectator.