Tour de France - Not of this World": Merciless Pogacan before Double
Tadej Pogacar showed no mercy. A quick glance back at Jonas Vingegaard, a powerful start - and the fifth stage win of the Tour de France was no longer within reach for the dominator of the 111th Tour de France. With his triumph on the Col de la Couillole near his hometown Monaco, the Slovenian set a mark that had not been reached at the Tour since Marcel Kittel in 2017. Pogacar proudly showed a hand with five extended fingers as he crossed the finish line.
"You brake not in cycling", said the 26-year-old with a grin. "If they had told me before the Tour that this would all happen, I wouldn't have believed it. It's not of this world." 5 minutes and 14 seconds separates Pogacar from Vingegaard before the final time trial on Sunday. The historic double of victories at the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France in the same year, which the already deceased icon Marco Pantani had achieved in 1998, is just a formality.
Vingegaard had hoped for a little mercy from Pogacar on the last meters. "I had the hope that he would let me win. I knew that I had no chance in the sprint, as I was already at my limit", said the Dane. He was far from being disappointed: "I would have done the same thing."
Pogacar increased his account to a total of 16 stage wins. Long-term, he wants to break the record of Mark Cavendish, who had celebrated his 35th stage win.
On the jersey of the best climber, which Pogacar had long possessed, he must give up. The coveted white jersey with red points was secured on Saturday by the Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz, who finished third on the stage. The Olympian only needs to reach the goal on Sunday in the time trial.
Third Tour victory
Overall, it would be Pogacar's third Tour victory. He is now on the same level with Greg LeMond. Records with five victories are held by Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Jacques Anquetil, and Miguel Indurain. Lance Armstrong's seven victories were revoked due to doping.
In May, Pogacar won the Giro, leading almost ten minutes before the second-placed Colombian Daniel Martinez. A question mark had long hung over how the exceptional rider would cope with the strain. Pogacar answered with performance, winning two tough mountain climbs in the Pyrenees and one in the Alps.
After his fourth stage win the day before, Pogacar had already announced that he wanted to enjoy the mountain climbing through the Alps, his training ground. "This is my training ground, I know every mountain very, very well", said Pogacar. Vingegaard had also buried his last hope for the overall victory and wanted to focus on securing second place.
No tension like 1989
The 33.7 kilometer long final time trial had to become a pure triumphal procession for Pogacar. Even a flat tire could be afforded in the face of the lead. A drama like 1989, when the Tour ended with a solo time trial in Paris, will not happen according to human judgment.
Back then, Lemond went into battle against the clock in Paris with a 50-second deficit to the leader Laurent Fignon. The American left nothing to chance, rode with a triathlon setup on the handlebars and a time trial helmet, while the Frenchman chased through the streets of Paris with waving blonde hair. At the end, Lemond finished eight seconds ahead of Fignon and celebrated the closest Tour victory in history.
- Despite the close gap of 5 minutes and 14 seconds before the final time trial on Sunday, Tadej Pogacar's fifth stage victory in the Tour de France seems to secure him a historic double, following Marcel Pantani's victory in the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France in 1998.
- Tadej Pogacar's triumph on the Col de la Couillole near Monaco marks the first time a rider has achieved five stage victories in the Tour de France since Marcel Kittel in 2017.
- In cycling, according to Pogacar, one does not slow down, citing, "You brake not in cycling."
- After his victory, Tadej Pogacar proudly displayed five extended fingers, symbolizing his five stage victories and his increasing dominance in the Tour de France.
- With a total of 16 stage wins, Tadej Pogacar aims to break the record set by Mark Cavendish, who had celebrated 35 stage victories in his career.
- Though Richard Carapaz secured the jersey of the best climber on Saturday, Tadej Pogacar's third Tour victory could level him with prominent cyclists like Greg Lemond, who also has three victories.
- In May, Tadej Pogacar claimed an impressive victory at the Giro d'Italia, leading nearly ten minutes before the second-placed Colombian Daniel Martinez, showcasing his exceptional talent and endurance.
- As Tadej Pogacar prepares for the final time trial, the prospect of a solo time trial triumph like Greg Lemond's in 1989, when Lemond secured an eight-second victory over Laurent Fignon, does not seem likely given the lead he holds.
