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Another day of glory and pain experienced by Colombian cycling on Wednesday in the Tour de France, with Miguel Ángel López’s triumph at Col de la Loze, his ascent to the third drawer of the podium, the regularity of Rigoberto Urán, who maintains his options, but the loss of more time for Nairo Quintana and the abandonment of Egan Bernal.
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It was an epic stage in which Primoz Roglic established himself in the general classification, it distanced its rivals and struck a heavy blow heading into the end on Sunday in Paris. López started from fourth and rose to third place, replacing Urán, which fell to the sixth box.
The options for a Colombian to remain on the podium are latent, but not certain. Thinking about the title with López or with Urán will depend on a decline in Tadej Pogacar, second, and Roglic, leader, there is no other way.
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Neither of them has it easy for the podium, as the time trial comes on Saturday. López loses 1 min 26 s with Roglic. Pogacar leads him by 29 seconds, close, sure, but they are both much stronger than him in this effort.
And if we look back, Richie Porte is fourth, and is 1 min 29 s from López. The Australian is doing well in the time trials and is the rival. In his favor, Miguel Ángel López has the time difference, what happens is that Porte is more powerful in that effort.
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The stage ends with 6 km uphill, but there are 30 km in which the leader of Astana has his weakness. Adam Yates is fifth, 1 min 46 s from ‘Superman’, but he is very irregular in these fractions, but he is better than the Colombian.
Mikel Landa has López at 1 min 59 s, and the Spaniard aspires to go up. The Bahrain rider is not a renowned time trialist. Of all of them, López should lose ground, but he is third, he has prepared for this performance on the Tour and has the option to fulfill his dream of occupying a place on the podium in the big three.
Let’s go with Urán. He has resumed his good performances in the fractions on the clock and, in normal behavior, he should surpass Landa, Yates beats him by 10 seconds.
With Porte, who distances him by 19 seconds, the fight will not be the same and he is at a disadvantage, and López could discount him.
(Also: Egan, the fourth Tour champion retiring from the event)
Rigoberto Urán has the time trial as an ally.
Of course, it remains to be seen who has the most reserve in the tank for the Tour auction, on that much will depend what may happen on that crucial day, in which Roglic and Pogacar have the upper hand in the fight for the classification.
And when we speak of the reserve, well we refer to those who fight for those first of the general, including Roglic, Pogacar and Porte, who have the statistics in their favor.
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This Thursday there is another mountainous day, but at this point in the Tour it would be a suicide to try something in search of improving the general classification or shortening the distance, Well, the stage does not end high and it could pay dearly for that effort in the time trial.
The runners will have the days of Thursday and Friday to recover thinking about the chrono, in leaving what they have left of strength for the auction of the Tour.
(Also: Fernando Gaviria won the Giro de la Toscana)
In that fight of the two Colombians to be on the podium, Porte is the stone in the shoe for both, because the fight for the title is almost impossible and depends on a miracle.
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Lisandro Rengifo
Editor of EL TIEMPO
@lisandroabel
