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In the time trial of La Planche des Belles Filles, Tadej Pogacar overturns an unrecognizable Primoz Roglic and wins everything: stage, yellow jersey, accessories ranking. An unforgettable day. Doors on the podium, Caruso at ten
There was a moment, in the Tour broadcast on televisions around the world, that will remain eternal in all the screenshots of the fans: Tadej Pogacar completed a fabulous time trial, and Tom Dumoulin and Wout Van Aert, Jumbo pilots at the service of Primoz Roglic during the three weeks, framed side by side (at that time they were first and second in the order of arrival), petrified, electrocuted to the soul by the ruthless passing of the seconds that condemned their captain, still in the race. , out of breath, completely immersed in his darkest nightmares. Losing the Tour de France in the last 36 km of competition, losing it to a friend who has now become a nemesis. The desolate face, then, of Roglic, whom we have always been used to considering as an ice man, and instead ended the Boucle with all its weaknesses, infirmities, suddenly unmasked by the day that he never wanted to live.
He had to succeed, he had to dominate the time trial to the limit (although the antecedents of the time trials at the end of the GT were not favorable), he had to complete the work of the Jumbo-Visma that in these three weeks was almost impregnable, and instead in the moment of truth, when the team no longer counted but only the legs, Primoz collapsed. And while collapsing, the other stood as the absolute protagonist of a Tour that will remain in the annals. Not so much for the Tour itself, but for this ending that we will all remember for many years to come. The years: 21 and 364 days, those that Tadej Pogacar will have when, tomorrow night, he raises the trophy of the race, facing the Arc de Triomphe: an age that also lowers the limit of Egan Bernal that a year ago seemed sensational and that today we read simply as a passing stage in this cycle of new phenomena, of champion children, of happy children who win, dominate, overturn what does not seem to overturn. A cycling in which Tadej Pogacar, starting today, becomes one of the most acclaimed protagonists.
A stopwatch that will remain unforgettable
The first half of the Lure-La Planche des Belles Filles, 36.2 km of time trial with the last 6 km of ascent, was marked by Rémi Cavagna (Deceuninck-Quick Step), who with 57’54 “, and after passing through first in all split times (in the first of the three, km 14.4, it would have remained the best in history), he finished the race in 57’54 ”, rising to the lead and reserving a couple of hours in the leader’s chair provisional We had to wait for the last stretch of headlines to find out who could beat the French specialty champion.
In this case, it was Wout Van Aert who overtook Cavagna: 39 ″ late in the first part time for WVA, then progressive recovery, 33 ″ in the second detection (30.3 km, at the foot of the climb), overtaking the third with an advantage of 6 ″ over the 33.5 km less than three from the summit, and a final time of 57’26 “, 28” better than the transalpine. The Jumbo-Visma champion seemed to have to open a day of dominance for the yellow and black team, a prognosis confirmed by the absolute performance of Tom Dumoulin, second in the first intermission but then clearly first to the others, to reach the goal with a 10 ″ advantage over its partner. team (suffering a bit in the last hundred meters).
From then on it would be pure delirium. Let’s start with Damiano Caruso (Bahrein-McLaren) who, with a test from the capital, cleared Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and advanced him in the classification, entering a top ten as longed for as he deserved. Another battle was for the podium: Richie Porte (Trek-Segafredo) not only beat Miguel Ángel López (Astana), but also put on a tremendous time trial there, joining Dumoulin with the same time, only beaten by a few. pennies. López literally sank and was also overtaken in the general by Mikel Landa (Bahrain) and Enric Mas (Movistar).
But the best, or worst, depending on the perspective, was just around the corner. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates) started with the dream, or the idea, of being able to turn the Tour de France around. Had to regain 57 ″ from Primoz Roglic. The bookies did not consider it a possible scenario, and this opinion was shared by most of the fans. Well, they were all wrong. We were all wrong. Tadej began to turn from the first meter at a pace that Primoz could never have followed. He fired as much as he could. Third in the first split at 17 “behind Cavagna, Roglic would have passed fifth at 30”: the first 13 “gnawed.
Second part time, Pogacar second to 1 “behind Dumoulin, Roglic would be fourth at 37”; 36 ″ eaten by the young to the old. The rise continued. Pogacar changed bikes faster than Roglic, but it’s a detail: what mattered were two legs that did not let the hopes of the yellow jersey escape. Halfway up the climb, Tadej took the lead, 49’15 “, Roglic out of breath and out of breath went sixth at 1’22”: overtaking was evident.
Upon arrival, the stage victory, 55’55 “, 1’21” cut Dumo and Porte, 1’31 “Van Aert. Roglic, upset and transfigured not only by fatigue, but by atrocious disappointment, would have finished fifth at 1’56 “, not a delay, but an abyss, a 180 ° setback from the starting positions. The top ten was closed by Cavagna at 1’59 “, Caruso (seventh!) At 2’29”, De La Cruz (UAE) at 2’40 “, Mas at 2’45”, Rigoberto Urán (EF) at 2 ’54 “.
Roglic sat on the floor, lifeless, consoled in vain by Dumoulin. Then an explosion of pride, he got up, went to look for a still incredulous Pogacar, gave him a more sincere hug than it seemed because of the moral blow that kept him –Primoz – completely out of all principle of reality. I was in another universe, at that moment, Roglic: dark, dark, inconceivable.
Tadej instead, in heaven: stage won, yellow jersey, and obviously white jersey because the boy is not even 22 years old (he turns them on Monday, what party can he have?), And also polka dot jersey just to like (exceeded to Carapaz thanks to this supreme ascent, valid as Gpm), the joy of those around him, and an approach, on the part of the child, in short, sober, regarding the accomplished undertaking.
A company sculpted in this ranking that will close the Tour: Tadej Pogacar first with 59 “in Roglic, 3’30” in Porte (first race podium in a GT), 5’58 “in Landa (fourth like two years ago), 6’07 “at Mas, 6’47” at López, 7’48 “at Dumoulin (climbed back to seventh position), 8’02” at Urán, 9’25 “at Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott), 14 ’03 ”on Damiano Caruso. This ending is history. This finale is all the cycling a fan can dream of.
