Roglic’s ride on the Colombier was almost inhuman

Little Slovenia rules the Tour de France. Tadej Pogacar and former Primoz ski jumper Roglic take the competition to the ground at the Grand Colombier. Astonishment is mixed with skepticism.

Egan Bernal is the big underdog of the Grand Colombier stage and he played every chance of an overall victory at the “Grande Boucle” on Sunday. The defeated defending champion simply shook his head after the end of the race, mostly out of disappointment, but perhaps also a bit out of disbelief and doubt. You are not alone in this.

Tour expert Henri Gammenthaler also expresses concern after stage winner Pogacar and Yellow Bearer Roglic’s brilliant summit storm: “This trip reminds me a lot of the US Postal team at the time with Lance Armstrong or the former Sky team. with Chris Froome. The Roglic team’s show of force raises questions. Never before has a team made the tremendous climb of the Colombier in less than 46 minutes. This time is two minutes below the previous record, which seems almost impossible to me ”, explains Gammentaler in an interview with“ Bluewin ”. The cycling expert describes the theft of Egan Bernal as “human.” “We should actually see a lot more of that over the course of a tour, because it’s an illusion to go through a three-week run without a bad day.”

Roglic: “I have nothing to hide”

Currently, everything suggests that Roglic would take his incredible metamorphosis from ski jumper to tour winner to a grand finale in Paris next Sunday. Since resuming after the crown break, the Slovenian has moved away from the competition in all aspects. At the Colombier he raced with Pogacar, but the 30-year-old will still deliver his great masterpiece in the mountain time trial on the penultimate day of the tour. After the ride in the Colombier, Roglic says, looking at his critics and skeptics: “You can trust me on my side. I do not have anything to hide. “

There are many controls, both before and after the stage, he explains. That is going well, adds Roglic, against whom there are so far no suspicions of doping. However, Slovenian cycling is involved in the blood doping matter surrounding Erfurt sports doctor Mark S. The UCI launched investigations against bicycle director Milan Erzen due to alleged connections to a doctor from “Operation Aderlass” . Erzen was the head coach of the lower-class team Adria Mobil in 2013 when Roglic began his career.

After the rest day on Monday, the 16th stage continues on Tuesday over 164 kilometers from La Tour-du-Pin to Villard-de-Lans. Five mountain classifications, including one in the first category, are demanding. However, these obstacles in the Alps are unlikely to cause changes to the top of the overall ranking. The conditions on the bike seem too clear, even if the suspect is a loyal companion.