Not Julius Caesar, Tiberius or Claudius, but his empire begins to extend to all corners of cycling. His superiority is so absolute that words that can be used to describe his feats are already beginning to die out. Tadej Pogacar did it again, for the third consecutive day of competition, to add his third victory of the season with just having participated in the Clásica Jaén and the first two stages of the Tour of Andalusia. Today, on the second day of the Ruta del Sol, he uncovered his most explosive version to defeat a brave enric mas on the demanding final wall of the Fortaleza de la Mota, where the Spaniard held on to his wheel with the final meters to go. The first place in the general classification, in which today there were bonuses, is practically resolved with three days to go. Tremendous.
The second stage of the Ruta del Sol again had a Demanding route of constant ups and downs, with three scoring ports. The first half hour of the race, with descending terrain, was very fast, averaging around 55 km/h. The day’s break featured a dozen high-level runners, including Alessandro Covi, Nelson Oliveira, Matej Mohoric and Iván GarcÃa Cortina. The peloton, aware that they could go a long way, never allowed them an advantage of more than 2 minutes.
The UAE delegated the hunting job in other teams interested in victory, since they did not need it. The race was where they wanted. In favor of victory it was going to be totally transcendental what happened in Hoya de la Charrilla, rough, hard asphalt port with ramps of up to 14% in its first part. It was precisely there, taking advantage of the arrival of those impossible ramps, where a courageous Mikel Landa launched his ordeal with 28 km to go. Pogacar did not hesitate, aware of the good legs that the player from Alava displayed the day before, and stuck to his wheel. The pursuit was started by Carlos RodrÃguez and Buitrago joined the wheel of the man from Granada, while Mas remained on the lookout.
He could have settled, the situation was more than valid for him. But cannibals do not understand conformism. pogi He accelerated and based on the rhythm he released a Mikel who was absorbed by a small chasing group that Enric joined. The Slovenian hunted down the last survivors of the escape (Rota, Zimmermann, Mohoric and Teuns) and there was a break before crowning, which allowed the Arrival of the Spanish trio and Buitrago. On the descent, aware that it was his best option, Mohoric threw himself into an open grave. But, in a sign that his problems with the descents are more than overcome, he was the first to reach his wheel. The final cobbled ramp in Fortaleza de la Mota left another precious one-on-one between Enric and Tadej who, despite the brave acceleration of the Spaniard, he fell on the side of the Slovenian with a stratospheric change of pace with 150 meters to go. Hail, Pogacar!
Results of the 2nd stage
1st Tadej Pogacar (UAE) – 3h 40:10
2nd enric mas (Movistar) – at 4″
3º Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain) – mt
4th Michael Landa (Bahrain) – mt.
5th carlos rodriguez (Ineos) – mt
General of the 69th Tour of Andalusia
1st Tadej Pogacar (UAE) – 8h 44:19
2nd Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain) – at 48″
3rd Michael Landa (Bahrain) – 52″
4th carlos rodriguez (Ineos) – mt
5th enric mas (Movistar) – 1:47