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On Saturday Primoz Roglic lost the Tour victory that was believed to be safe in the time trial. A drama reminiscent of 1989.
Infinite void
The destroyed Primoz Roglic is comforted by his teammates after the time trial.
Keystone
Such an unexpected turn at the end of the Tour de France had not occurred in 31 years. At that time, American Greg LeMond caught French leader Laurent Fignon on the last stage, also against the clock. He converted a 50-second gap into an 8-second lead, the closest gap in Tour history.
I’m disappointed. I’ll cry. I already cried.
Roglic was beaten much more clearly in the final time trial on Saturday. Tadej Pogacar converted the 57-second difference with his compatriot, nine years his senior, into a lead of almost a minute. Badly beaten and chalky-faced, Roglic reached the finish line.
Pain and desolation. The wound will be difficult to close, ”wrote the French sports newspaper. The teamafter Roglic gave up the overall victory, which was already believed secure.
The last climb was too much
Fignon never won the tour after the painful defeat in 1989. Roglic will also have to chew for a long time. “At the moment I can’t think clearly, I don’t have a clear plan for the future. It’s like my head is empty, ”said Roglic at the most difficult moment of his cycling career.
The former ski jumper and his Jumbo Visma team had dominated the entire course. What should go wrong when it was clearly favored as an extremely strong time trial? Perhaps that was the pressure that finally broke Roglic. “I am disappointed. I will cry. I have been crying,” said the Slovenian, often criticized for lacking emotions, and gave at least a glimpse of his soul.
From the impasse of ski jumping to the winner of the world’s greatest cycle race, one of the supposedly most remarkable sports stories of recent years turned into one of the most painful twists and turns of a Tour de France.
