Cycling
Untouchable Pogacar: The Giro is becoming a bore
Tadej Pogacar cannot be beaten by the competition. photo
© Gian Mattia D’Alberto/LaPresse/AP/dpa
At the Giro d’Italia, only Tadej Pogacar’s stuffy nose gives hope for more excitement. The professional cyclist from Slovenia cannot be beaten by the competition.
On the second mountain finish, Pogacar at least refrained from inflicting the next humiliation on his rivals. He countered all attacks on the way to the holiday resort of Prati di Tivo while sitting and then drove away from everyone 250 meters from the finish. The distances remained in the range of seconds. Nevertheless, second overall, Colombian Daniel Martinez from the German team Bora-hansgrohe, is already almost three minutes behind.
The superiority is so great that Pogacar felt forced to defend his successes. “I’m 100 percent sure that I’m really getting on some guys’ nerves,” said the 25-year-old. “But I’m driving for the team that pays me and my teammates who work their butts off for me. We want to show how strong we are here.”
High entry fee for Pogacar
However, the Giro organizers created the boredom themselves. According to reports, Pogacar’s UAE team – and ultimately the cycling star himself – received a high entry fee for its premiere on the second largest tour in the world. In addition, the route has been made significantly easier compared to previous years, and the altitude has been reduced by around 20 percent.
This can certainly be classified as a concession to Pogacar. Ultimately, he can come out of the Giro a little fresher at the end and has a better chance of later winning the Tour de France. The double of the Giro and the Tour was last achieved by Italy’s late cycling legend Marco Pantani in 1998. “I’m still a long way from the double. I know that many people have tried and failed,” said Pogacar.
He at least tried to persuade his opponents. “I think they will regain some confidence and we will see some great battles in the next mountain stages,” Pogacar said.
In reality, nature seems to be his biggest enemy. This does not refer to his possible allergy. The Giro is known for its periods of really bad weather, which can mentally wear a rider down. However, Pogacar is also known for being comfortable in bad weather.