Cycling - Pogacar frustration after stalemate: "Only paying attention to me"
Tadej Pogacar wiped the gravel from his face after the spectacle on the gravel roads in Champagne, the frustration couldn't be hidden from the man in the yellow jersey. Once again, the Slovenian cycling star attacked fiercely on the white roads, leaving his rivals in his wake on the ninth stage.
Pogacar couldn't understand why title defender Jonas Vingegaard didn't join in the leadership during the attacks. "They only paid attention to me. Jonas, Remco (Evenepoel) and I could have secured the podium, that can still be avenged. But everyone races their own race, it doesn't bother me", said Pogacar.
The grand spectacle on the gravel roads among the top stars in the industry ended in a deadlock. In the much-anticipated exchange of blows between the Big Four, Pogacar, title defender Jonas Vingegaard, World Champion Remco Evenepoel, and Primoz Roglic crossed the finish line in Troyes side by side.
Vingegaard hopes for improvement
Vingegaard, however, relies on the factor of time, as he can still improve in the race, especially since he still has a performance deficit after his crash in the Basque Country in April. "The goal was not to lose time. We managed that. My teammates did a great job", said the Dane, who admitted that Pogacar was the strongest. With the yellow jersey still on, Pogacar leads by 33 seconds over Evenepoel. Vingegaard is 1:15 behind, and Roglic is 1:36.
The stage win was taken by the Frenchman Anthony Turgis after 199 kilometers, who won the sprint of a small breakaway group ahead of the British Mountainbike Olympic champion Thomas Pidcock and the Canadian Derek Gee, providing the third win for the hosts in 2024.
Pogacar attacks - unsuccessful
All eyes were on the riders as they tackled the gravel roads, which covered a total length of 33.2 kilometers. About 22 kilometers before the finish, Pogacar launched the sharpest attack, but Vingegaard managed to keep up thanks to his strong helpers, and the favorites' group reformed. Evenepoel also tried an attack - unsuccessfully. So, Vingegaard could feel like the moral winner.
The two-time Tour Champion Pogacar was well-prepared. The 25-year-old had already won the gravel race Strade Bianche impressively with a solo ride of 82 kilometers in the spring. Vingegaard, on the other hand, went into the gravel without knowledge of the terrain. When his Visma team explored the terrain in May, Vingegaard was still dealing with the aftermath of his severe crash at the Basque Country race. Evenepool had left nothing to chance and knew, as he had shown in the time trial, about every detail.
Gravel roads as a Tour premiere
It was the first time in Tour history that gravel roads were included in the program. After gravel sections had been added to the route from Paris-Roubaix in the past, another element was added in the search for more spectacle.
The drivers had obviously faced challenges. At the steep and sometimes narrow sections, several professional cyclists had to get off their saddles and walk a little. Crashes were largely avoided - with the exception of Roglic's helper Alexander Vlasov, who landed in a ditch about 40 kilometers before the finish line on Sunday, but was able to continue.
Tour pays tribute to deceased cyclist Drege
Before the field set off, the deceased Norwegian cyclist André Drege was paid tribute to first. The Norwegian team Uno-X appeared in the first row on Sunday, closed in black armbands. Behind them were the jersey wearers around the overall leader Pogacar. Drege had crashed on the descent from the Großglockner during the simultaneously held Austria Rundfahrt on Saturday. He succumbed to his injuries.
The Tour takes a rest day on Monday, before it continues with the tenth stage over 187.3 kilometers from Orléans to Saint-Amand-Montrond on Tuesday. Then, the sprinters could come into play again.
- The gravel roads in Champagne were a challenge even for the seasoned cyclists like Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard from France.
- The inclusion of gravel roads in the Tour de France was a tribute to the spectacle and excitement that cycling in international events can offer.
- Despite Pogacar's fierce attacks on the white roads, Vingegaard and Evenepoel from France and the Basque Country respectively, remained cautious, maintaining a stalemate.
- The Grand Depart in Troyes saw a stage win for the French cyclist Anthony Turgis, adding to France's victories in the 2024 Tour de France.
- The race in Troyes also marked a significant improvement for Vingegaard, who had dealt with the aftermath of his crash in the Basque Country, and managed to reduce his deficit against Pogacar.
- The Tour de France paid its respects to the deceased Norwegian cyclist Andre Drege, who had unfortunately met with an accident during the Austria Rundfahrt, highlighting the danger and challenges that cyclists face in their pursuit of excellence in the sport of cycling.
