Tadej Pogacar undoubtedly took the biggest slap of his career on the Tour de France on Wednesday, in the Col de la Loze. Of course, there was the black hole of the Col du Granon last year, when he lost a yellow jersey that he has never seen since. Or, no later than Tuesday, minute thirty-eight conceded to Jonas Vingegaard in the time trial between Passy and Combloux.
But this time it was even different and harder to swallow. Because he completely exploded, that Vingegaard is far from being the only one to have preceded him. Above all, contrary to the precedents mentioned, the fight is over. The final side of the debacle, coupled with its magnitude, was enough to leave him totally stunned. He was.
Pogacar in difficulty in the Col de la Loze, Vingegaard widens the gap again
“I got over it, even if it was difficult at first“, admitted the Slovenian Thursday evening under the sun of Bourg-en-Bresse the day after the disaster. He says he has “slept well“, as if fatigue had taken precedence over disillusion and the gamberge that accompanies it when turning off the light…
When he arrived at the start area in Moûtiers on Thursday morning, he was still hungover, but the white jersey received the support of a good part of his colleagues, which particularly touched him: “There was a lot of emotion this morning at the start, everyone came to talk to me to comfort me, and I would like to thank them all. And it was good to be in the peloton for a quieter day.”
If I look at the big picture, we can be proud of ourselves
It wasn’t the first show of affection “Pogi” has received in the past twenty-four hours. There was his partner, of course, his family too. Logic. But the Slovenian expected less to be “consoled” by the public on the side of the road, than tonight Wednesday or Thursday. “I can’t believe all the support I received, already yesterday (Wednesday) during the whole ascent (of the Col de la Loze). All the public along the road too today… I’m grateful to have all these fans supporting me“, he confided.
“I’m gone, I’m dead”: When Pogacar warned his team that he was “dead”
This day has undoubtedly done him good for his morale and, if the time for assessment and questions will come very quickly, the leader of the UAE Emirates team wants to focus on finishing this Tour well. “If I look at the big picture, we can be proud of ourselves, he says about the Emirati collective. I’m still 2nd overall, Adam (Yates) is 3rd and we won two stages and maybe we’ll manage to win another one.”
Save what can be saved and soften the disappointment. A little balm on those red cheeks after the double slap of the third week. “Anyway we have to keep fighting to finish Adam and me on the podium in Parishe said. And if I find my legs, why not try to win the last mountain stage on Saturday?“At Tadej Pogacar, his head is better. We even saw him smile once or twice in the peloton during the stage. The legs are another question. He will find out on Saturday in the Vosges.
Pogacar: “A lot of guys came to see me at the start to comfort me, it did me good”