“They are two aliens that appear to be in a video game. There are the two of them and then everyone else”, they say from within the peloton about Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar. On July 1, in Bilbao, the AS preview of the race had ‘The most anticipated Tour’ as the headline, and more than two weeks later, the feeling remains the same. The outcome of the race, with a priori three decisive stages for the overall favourites, is a mystery.
On the one hand, the biggest battle, that of the yellow jersey, with two vintage riders. After the first four stages, Pogacar had an 11-second lead over Vingegaard. On the fifth day the Dane’s big blow came, on the first day in the Pyrenees, turning the situation around and leading the Slovenian by 53 seconds overall. And on the sixth day, when the Jumbo tried to checkmate… the best Tadej came out, leaving his rival behind, getting to 25 seconds in Cauterets, which later dropped to 17 in the Puy de Dôme and 9 in the Grand Colombier.
The trend was in favor of the UAE runner, but in Morzine it stopped. What’s more, Vingegard won a second for the bonuses in Joux Plane and the famous episode of the motorcycles that stopped Pogacar at the top. Even the UCI called the UAE to apologize. Race stuff. In this way, the Tour reaches its last third with everything in a handkerchief: ten seconds difference between the current champion and the double winner. This Monday, on the day of rest in the Alps, Jonas Vingegaard, as he did on the previous day of rest, did not make a conference with the media. Only his team released his statements.
The one who did it was his great rival, a Tadej Pogacar who shows optimism: “I enjoy dueling with Jonas. I have a lot of respect for him.” The Slovenian, who yesterday had a visit from his parents (they are doing a good part of the Tour in a caravan) in Megève to take the white jerseys as the best young man that he had accumulated on the bus, he believes that there is enough margin to be able to turn the race around.
“I would have signed to be in this situation before the Tour. This year I am somewhat more controlled. When I move, I do it 100% to try to recover a few seconds.”. Luckily for him, the wrist problems he had weeks ago after his operation are almost non-existent: “The important thing is that my legs feel good and perhaps the freshness of these months will be useful for the last week.” The time trial this Tuesday, key for both. Wednesday and Saturday, the two mountainous stages that will end up deciding the Tour. all in a handkerchiefwith Carlos Rodríguez in another great battle, that of the podium.