Pogacar anchors his tyranny in the Tour with a historic repóker

“We hope to enjoy the scene,” he said. Pogacar 24 hours earlier, he had completed the third Tour of his record in Isola 2000, that of the reconquest. But how can you let glory pass you by when everyone puts it within your reach? How can you have pity when you are, incontestably, the strongest. On the roads where he trains from his residence in Monte-Carlo, in a stage of four climbs that was for him a pleasure trip, the leader raised his arms again, for the fifth time in this Tour, winning the face-off at the finish line Jonas Vingegaard. A tyranny that deserves an explanation, because, in fact, this time, it was not sought. [Narración y clasificaciones]

A year ago, beaten two days ago in the Combloux and Col de la Loze time trial, Pogacar won on a Saturday like this in the Vosges. A bittersweet farewell that Vingegaard did not have. The Dane had attacked at the last port, tired of the movements of a Evenepoel who dreamed of taking second place. He had asked Tadej for a collaboration that he had not found and had taken him to the final sprint with relative comfort. And there was no mercy.

Under the blazing sun of Nice, its Vieux Port crowded at the exit, the bravest were making assumptions for their last chance, many at this stage with empty wallets. An unexpected opportunity in the Alpes Maritimes, where it was expected that the battle between Pogacar and Vingegaard would remain alive, the penultimate episode of a perfect scenario while waiting for the final time trial on Sunday.

But everything ended earlier than expected in this Tour due to the overwhelming domination of the Slovenian, who this Sunday on the Côte d’Azur, in this unprecedented final of the Tour that he will never forget, will celebrate his reconquest, the third crown that is equal to him Louison Bobet and Greg Lemondjust one now Chris Froome. He promised a truce and so it was on his part. But I wasn’t going to forgive a historic poker player either: the last person to achieve such a feat was a sprinter, Kittenin 2017.

And there was hardly anyone among those who needed it like Movistar, which for five years has been continuing a stage that has resisted (since Nairo Quintana in Valloire), especially in this Tour where they tried so hard (especially with Lazkano and with Gaviria in the sprints), in which they found themselves very early without any advantage in the general classification with the resignation of Enrique Mas. “Like a child,” said the Spaniard who has felt in recent times, third at Superdévoluy, and since the Col de Braus itself, very early, aggressive in the search for the escape of the day. Unsuccessful protagonist: he wins the prize of the fight and finishes fifth at the Couillole.

Enric had managed to leave earlier, with Kelderman and Almirailalthough during the climb to the Col de Turini they were joined by eight dangerous companions, including the ever-threatening Carapaz -mathematically secure his mountain jersey to achieve an extraordinary Tour- and Marc Solerpublished by Pogacar. They had permission from the United Arab Emirates, although at the end of the port, the Soudal Quick Step took responsibility for it, anticipating their final intentions. I had pronounced it Mikel Landa at the start: “Fourth place is within my reach. Joao is very strong, but the stage is very hard today and very hot. I will try my luck.”

At the Col de la Couillole, everything began to settle down. Among the escapees, Carapaz and Mas were the most powerful and they soon proved it. And from the back, Landa completed the work of his teammates with a pace that only the top five in the Tour could match. But the Soudal affair turned out to be suicide, a disastrous move. Evenepoel’s subsequent move, without much faith, eliminated the Vitorian, who soon found all his chances of fourth place diluted by the diesel power of the Almeida. Much worse Carlos Rodriguez: eliminated at the first opportunity, he lost up to his sixth place overall to the benefit of Adam Yates.

When Remco tried again, Vingegaard had said enough, he released all his champion’s rage and left in the company of a Pogacar who was offered victory on a platter among all. The two cycling gods quickly launched into the hunt for Mas and Carapaz, who could not resist the deadly pace of the Dane. And in the last meters, the Visma player was exhausted, there was no mercy from the leader, who finished 200 meters from the finish. It would have been more humiliating not to win his fifth stage, his 16th victory on the Tour at 25 years old.