Another shot from Pogacar to Vingegaard at the Tour de France

Luis Ocana He was remembered at the start of this Friday’s stage in Mont de Marsan, where he grew up and lived, on the 50th anniversary of his Tour triumph in 1973. Before the start signal, the Luis Ocaña Velodrome was inaugurated with the presence of the town’s mayor Mont-de-Marsan, Charles Dayot, Christian Prudhommedirector Tour of Franceand Bernard Thevenet, double winner of the French circuit and second in Paris in 1973 after Ocaña. The cyclist from Priego was already awarded in the fourth stage, in between Dax and Nogaro. The organization laid a bouquet of flowers in his honor at Caupenne d’Armagnac, where he lived and died, at the age of 48. The director of the Tour has never hidden his admiration and confirms that “Ocaña is one of the greatest in cycling and was the idol of my youth.”

on top Big Colombierwhere his partner won Michal Kwiatkowski, Andalusian carlos rodriguez He perfectly described what this Tour is: «It seems that Pogacar and Vingegaard are arguing in a video game. It’s as if their legs don’t hurt.” Rodríguez, who at the age of 22 is fourth in the standings of his first Tour, surrendered half a minute. Pello Bilbao, who fell from fifth to seventh place, remained regardless of the maximum suffering for almost a minute. Nor they or anyone can’t play with this edition’s game console. There are only two controls. One has Vingegaard, the leader. And the other is from Pogačar, who again hits him less than a kilometer from the finish and cuts the Dane’s 8 seconds (of which 4 bonus). The Slovenian stalks him for only 9 seconds. And in the Alps there are two main stages. Two altitude attacks.

Every time Pogagar hits Vingegaard, it’s like a dramatic countdown sung by a boxing referee over the noise of the Grande Boucle. The Slovenian pedals. The Dane, also standing, resists. Until he sits down and approves a few meters. Counting sounds: 10, 9, 8… Until now, he always got up on time. He loses points, but does not give up in the fight that continues in his favor. It’s a duo tour. He sees the rest from a distance: Hindley, third, is almost three minutes away. Rodríguez, almost five. and then they come Adam Yates (at 5.03), almost equal to its twin Simon Yates (at 5.04), i bilbao hair (at 5.25). Bišćanin stayed with the best until the end, until Pogačar turned on the video game. Although the game did not end as the Slovenian wanted. He didn’t win the stage. Kwiatkowski, the best running back, took care of that.

Now, pre-stage team meetings are like math class. Data and more physiological, meteorological data… Each leader is informed about how his rivals are doing. Everyone is spying on each other. With this information, the directors tailor their daily tactics. Mandatory compliance, except in one case. pogacar The Slovenian works as a free electron. His inspiration is beyond strategies. Due to his talent, he is allowed to skip orders. Although there are days, like in this thirteenth stage, where everyone knows from the beginning Chatillon-sur-Chalaronne that it was the Slovenian who wrote his name on the board: “I won today”. With the summit of Grand Colombier, the goal, the pyramid of Jura, on which he already won in 2020 and from where half of France can be seen, he met on the national holiday of July 14. You can even make out albino scalps Mont Blanc. There is also a cyclist from the Arke team, Maxime Bouet, who spread the ashes of his mother Brigitte on this mountain. Many do. So they can see where their relatives are resting when they open the window at home. Pogačar was not going to bury Vingegaard, the leader who was only 17 seconds ahead of him, but he wanted to make him doubt before the upcoming two rounds in the Alps. With the strength of his legs, he aimed at the general psychological weakness of his opponents. Kwiatkowski resists and wins Because of this, Pogačar’s team, UAE, has worn itself out to prevent a flight of twenty good numbers (Kwiatkowski, Shaw, Mohoric, Wright, Oliveira, Tejada, Latour, Van Gils, Pacher…) from capturing enough revenue to challenge the victory. But parting ways with so many runners didn’t make UAE’s job any easier. Bjerg, Laengen, Trentin and Soler were in charge of this task at the dictation of Pogacar. However, the escapees entered Grand Colombier with a four-minute lead. Enough? It doesn’t seem like it.

Kwiatkowski changed the UAE letter. Former world champion and winner of classics such as Milano-San Remo and San Sebastian Classic, the Pole from Ineos flew onto the screen of the video game Pogacar. He had conserved his strength in the previous days. Thrift is a virtue in cycling. UAE, already with Soler, Grossschartner and Majka at the helm, could not catch you. The Pyramid of Jura was for Kwiatkowski, who claimed his second Tour victory. “I didn’t think I would win, but when I saw the advantage I thought: why not. “I had the legs of my life,” he declared. After the stage Pogačar wanted was granted, the psychological struggle remained.

The Slovenian, who was crossed by Adam Yates, chased Vingegaard on the threshold of the goal. He scratched her face again. A few meters ahead. They are separated by a few seconds. “It’s time to tie my shoes,” joked Pogačar. He enjoys this exciting video game that he shares with Vingegaard and runs wild on the screen in the Alps. More games to play. More fighting.