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The T stageour de l’Avenir de 2018 he had Méribe as his goal, after 35.9 kilometers. The terrain was mountainous, ideal for climbers. The battle between them arose, and two produced the best results.
That day, the Colombian Iván Ramiro Sosa prevailed in the fraction and the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar He became a leader, a yellow shirt that he did not release until the end, and he was crowned champion.
Almost two years later, the two rivals face each other on the World Tour, in the highest cycling category in the world. Sosa is part of the Ineos team and Pogacar is the new star of the UAE Emirates. Both have taken different paths: while the Colombian rider seeks to earn a position in the best squad in the world, the Slovenian, 21, already has one fixed on his.
Pogacar is one of the revelations of cycling on the planet. Alongside the Colombian Egan Bernal and the Belgian Remco Evenepoel, he is one of those called to dominate cycling when the generation of Chris Froome, Primoz Roglic, Tom Dumoulin and even Nairo Quintana has finished their cycle, even before that.
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They are always compared. There is a lot of talk about who will get the best results. Until now, Bernal is the one with the best revenues: he already won the Tour de France last year, but that is normal, because he is older than the other two.
Tajed Pogacar was born on September 21, 1998 in Komenda (Slovakia). It weighs 66 kilos and measures 1.76 meters. On his resume are 12 wins, half of them on the World Tour, a title from last year’s Tour of California, in which Sergio Higuita came in second. In addition, it has been imposed in five stages, three in the 2019 Vuelta a España, in the premiere in a large one and in which it finished on the podium, giving the great blow.
I mean
Since 2017 he is a professional cyclist, and arrived in UAE Emirates in 2018, where he will be, for now, until 2023.
Pogacar was packed this year. He won the stage and was the champion of the Tour of the Valencian Community. He went to the UAE Tour and hours after his victory in the queen stage, the organization of the race ended it, after confirming the contagion of several members of the caravan with the covid-19, including his teammate, the Colombian Fernando Gaviria, and from there, like everyone, he suspended the competition.
He was confined to a hotel. He passed the quarantine between exercises and roller sessions, without leaving his room.
“After the award ceremony we were transferred to the hotel in Abu Dhabi, and there, at night, things began to happen. They found two members of the caravan who became ill and tested positive for coronavirus. This meant that the last two stages were canceled in the morning. We remained locked in the hotel and we were not allowed to leave our rooms until things calmed down. We had no real information and hardly received notifications. On Friday we stayed in our rooms instead of traveling in the sixth level stage, and samples were taken during the day, ”said the runner on that occasion.
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Urška Žigart is a Slovenian cyclist member of the UCI BTC City Ljubljana team and, although she has not won the same as Pogacar, she wants to mark her own path and not be compared to him, her boyfriend.
Tadej Pogacar is part of the new cycling in his country, next to Primoz Roglic, with whom he made history last year, after 1-3 in the Vuelta a España. He spoke to TIME.
Evenepoel, Egan, Pogacar, is it the trio of cycling’s future or present?
Well, it’s a good group of runners. I would include Mathieu van der Poel, and many other young runners would disagree! I find it unfair to them.
But it is the group that is most named …
Maybe. That is said. What I mean is that young runners are doing well, and I highlight that for sports, for cycling. If you look at it, that lot is getting bigger every day.
Still need to talk about a time when Chris Froome, Tom Dumoulin and Primoz Roglic dominate?
It is not that difficult to answer that question. I think it is because they are still some of the top favorites to win the big competitions. They have experience, they are assorted, they are excellent cyclists, they have not lost validity and that must be respected.
(In other news: 35 years of a Colombian feat in the Vuelta a España)
What do you analyze of that sports rivalry with Egan?
It is that I think they only name a few and I consider that all are complicated opponents, they have a lot of quality, that has been shown. I don’t consider Egan my only rival.
Do you think that what was done last year is the revelation of cycling?
I am still learning from older riders. In the Tour of Spain last year I shared a room with Marco Marcato, who has been a professional for almost 15 years, he helped me a lot. I don’t think it’s the revelation.
Young runners do well, and I highlight that for sports, for cycling. If you look, that lot is getting bigger every day
What do you analyze of the proposed dates for cycling to return in the second semester?
Obviously, as a cyclist, I want to return to competition as soon as possible, but only when it is safe to do so.
He is not sure?
Until there is a vaccine, it is difficult to predict what will happen and it is best to stay on the side of caution. Many things may change in the coming months.
What will be the problems for having Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Tour of Spain so close?
I am sure that the problems are much bigger for the organizers than for the runners. It is that for cyclists it will not change too much, but riding two great races in a row can be difficult.
If the schedule is met, if the virus stops, would the cyclists arrive from scratch and under the same conditions?
Many of the teams are preparing training camps right now, before the races begin again. At least that’s what I realize when I read and talk to my friends.
I am sure that the problems are much bigger for the organizers than for the runners. It is that for cyclists it will not change too much
But is there nothing fixed?
In the coming weeks, most of the boys will be training on the roads again, so a similar level can be found before the competitions begin. There is talk of going out to train in France, and in other countries there is not so much restriction.
What are the disadvantages for cyclists with a reduced schedule and in such a short time?
There are more runners than races, and some will run fewer days this year. I think World Tour riders will suffer less because those races will have priority, but smaller tests and lower level riders will suffer more.
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What causes could there be the possibility of no cycling this year?
If it is not safe to do so, then we should not run. Public health is more important than sports. Almost all industries will suffer this year, and cycling is in that group.
How has this suspension of racing impaired your goals?
Not too much. The truth is that I am still young, so I will have opportunities in the future. So far I have been on the World Tour for two years, and I am 21 years old. At least I hope so, that he has more opportunities to compete.
What lesson for your life did you quarantine in the UAE?
That the world can be fragile. We have to take care of it and take care of each other.
How do you assume that leadership in the UAE Emirates being so young and with a long career ahead?
I’m relaxed. We are a very strong team, so there are always other options if I have a bad day. We have a mix of youth and experience on the team.
Lisandro Rengifo
Editor of EL TIEMPO
On Twitter: @LisandroAbel
