A star has been born

A star is born: Carlos Rodríguez. The Grenadian, from 22 yearsraised his arms this Saturday as winner in Morzineend of a stage of the alps. A first place. In full duel between Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacarwho fought ferociously for each bonus second, each pedal stroke, Rodríguez knew how to find gold in the troubled river to conquer his first victory in a big one, which is also the third of a Spanish cyclist in this edition, after those won by Pello Bilbao and Ion Izagirre. The success of the Andalusian has an added merit, because he won in a battle of roosters and because he lifts him to the third step of the podium, from which he has come down Jai Hindley for a second! after suffering a nasty fall.

Rodríguez was crowned in a very demanding dayin which the Jumbo had hardened the rhythm of race throughout the route, with a chain work that did not give any option to the adventurers. And it was not because there had been no attempts, after a rough start that caused a pile of about thirty runners that forced the organization to provisionally stop the competition and sent Antonio Pedrero, Louis Meintjes and Esteban Chaves home. After the shock he was especially active Giulio Ciccone, who took the points of the Mountain in the Cou and the Feu. Several Spaniards were also there: Mikel Landa, Alex Aranburu, Gorka Izagirre… But the Dutch locomotive had other plans. He wanted to drive the race fast, without mercy. Vingegaard knows that he cannot wait for the final leg of the stages if he wants to win this Tour, because Pogacar has more explosiveness, a lethal attack. This is how he has been cutting it pinch by pinch, until standing up to this first date of the Alps to nine seconds. Jumbo’s attitude had a danger for his leader, which was to make the race in favor of the rival, instead of for their own benefit. But you had to take the risk. The Slovenian is more vulnerable from afar than up close, if he has any weaknesses.

The rhythm was so deadly, that only 16 cyclists survived in the peloton vanguard 30 kilometers from the finish line. This is how it came to Joux Plane, the great judge, an alpine classic of 13.9 kilometers at 7.1%. The Jumbo entered in point, once again, but the UAE Team was talkative and playful. Rafal Majka took the lead, a provocation that Wout van Aert did not allow. The mischief had its icing on the cake when Pogacar asked for a pitch from Adam Yates, which left him in a direct duel with Vingegaard. Again the star duo. Tadej took the lead with his frantic start, but this time the finish line was further away, sustained efforts are something else. There, the Danish is resistant. They both stayed in a heads up in the fight for bonuses from the port, which surprisingly Vingegaard was awarded, after a failed run by Pogacar, which was stopped by the motorcycles and the public. The affront hurt the Slovenian, defeated on his ground. And she expressed it with a hint of attack, more out of anger than helpfulness. Then she did precede him at the finish line, but she leaves the battle to 10 secondsone more than the day before. This Tour is disputed with the calculator.

Right at that moment it began to take shape the dream of Carlos Rodríguezthe entry into action of a third protagonist. Vingegaard and Pogacar went down in close marking when the Spaniard, who had crowned just 17 seconds behind the pair, hooked from behind and, without thinking twice, jumped into the block in the technical descent of the Joux Plane that has caused not a few falls in history. Ask Pedro Delgado and Roberto Heras. The 22-year-old from Granada was not going to increase that fateful relationship, but the list of spanish stage winnersthree of them in this award-winning contest, and the great men history tour. Carlos had double prizebecause it also ousted the third place on the podium to the bruised Hindley, thanks to the bonuses of the goal and the last peak. Ahead he only sees Vingegaard and Pogacar, two colossi that he managed to subdue with cunning this Saturday… and that he will surely challenge in the future.

General ranking

after cyclist	Equipment	Time
1 carlos rodriguez	IGD	3:58:45
2 Tadej Pogacar	UAD	+00:05
3 Jonas Vingegaard	TJV	+00:05
4 adam yates	UAD	+00:10
5 Sepp Kuss	TJV	+00:57
6 Jai Hindley	BOH	+01:46
7 Felix Gall	ACT	+01:46
8 Peio Bilbao	TBV	+03:19
9 Simon Yates	JAY	+03:21
10 Guillaume Martin	COF	+05:57

after cyclist	Equipment	Time
1 Jonas Vingegaard	TJV	57:47:28
2 Tadej Pogacar	UAD	+00:10
3 carlos rodriguez	IGD	+04:43
4 Jai Hindley	BOH	+04:44
5 adam yates	UAD	+05:20
6 Sepp Kuss	TJV	+08:15
7 Simon Yates	JAY	+08:32
8 Peio Bilbao	TBV	+08:51
9 Felix Gall	ACT	+12:26
10 David Gaudú	GFC	+12:56

See complete classification