Everyone against Pogacar and, this time, the Slovenian gave way. This is how the 2022 Tour de France was planned and this is how Jumbo understood it, the team with the most possibilities in its ranks. From the collective, but asserting their enormous individual possibilities, the Dutch squad deciphered the enigma, found the most sought-after secret potion within the international squad. On the last stretch of the Télégraphe, the peons began to move. After the descent, the first part of the mission had already been accomplished: isolate Pogi, the perfect context to launch an endless succession of attacks. Now Vingegaard; Now Roglic. Acceleration after acceleration with Tadej, based on outbursts inherent to his way of running, responding to everything. Taking the offensive, even. During the ascent, with his usual charisma, he had made tired gestures at the camera. They were humorous in tone, but they would end up being real. In the Granon, and after leaving an image for history, that of the Slovenian surrounded by up to four bodies of the Jumbo, coming all the previous work was good. with a swipe of 2:51 minutes, he was heading to the Champs-Élysées.
Pogacar tried until the end, but there was no way to recover the lost ground. The yellow wall was too high and Vingegaard, in particular, a great spearhead. “I was hoping that Pogacar would test me, as I hope he will also do during the next stages. I am lucky to be supported by a team that is probably the best in this Tour de France, as was evident on Wednesday and also today.” Jonas pondered after resisting the attacks of Tadej in Alpe d’Huez. Accurate analysis. The script was repeated until the Parisian goal. In 2023, the aim is to give it continuity, but with inevitable changes. “Last year we cracked the code to beat Pogacar. We know how to hurt him and where Jonas is superior to him. We are going back to the Tour with a good plan and we believe that we can go for the yellow again with Jonas”, assured the team’s sports director, Merijn Zeeman, during its presentation.
Same ambition, but without Roglic
From the outset, Roglic, leader for the Giro d’Italia, will not be part of the game in the great French round. The Slovenian, therefore, will not be part of a new plan that will keep Wout van Aert. “Also (Van Aert) will have freedom and we will continue to race aggressively as we always do, but we can no longer attack like on the Col du Granon”, Vingegaard himself anticipated this week. The surprise factor no longer exists and, furthermore, the pieces, not so much in volume as in weight, will change. Sepp Kuss, Christophe Laporte and Tiesj Benoot, except for surprise, seem destined to repeat. They can be joined by one of the star signings of the season, Dylan van Baarle, but there is still a long calendar ahead to define the eight. Jonas, with all this, will assume the leadership alone in the big ports, something that “makes the difference”. “It’s different going on the Tour now, compared to last year. Somehow there is more pressure, but also less because we succeed. If I don’t win it again in my career, I can be very happy with what I’ve done”, the Dane protects himself. Half a year after the Grand Départ, the new plan is already underway.