This time, the suspense is not so strong. Mass seems to have been said. Reviewing last year’s scenario – a Tadej Pogacar overthrowing his compatriot Primoz Roglic during the last time trial on the eve of going down the Champs-Elysées – is very strongly excluded! The young Slovenian killed all suspense for a long time in this 108th edition of the Tour de France. He crushed it up, down and across to the point of having this Saturday morning more than five minutes ahead of his dolphin,
Jonas Vingegaard.
This year, Tadej Pogacar also took the reins of the Grande Boucle during his first tour de force in the time trial between Changé and Laval from the 5th stage. Will he repeat the same performance for the plume today between Libourne and Saint Emilion in the middle of the Gironde vines? This is one of the challenges of this penultimate stage …
Pogacar for a new demonstration …
Is he full? Will he leave crumbs for others? Will these three victories be enough for him or does he plan to spank everyone? In demonstration on this 2021 edition, Tadej Pogacar could offer this Saturday a fourth stage victory this year. It is indeed one of the favorites on this second time trial after winning the first in Mayenne, ahead of all the specialists in the discipline. He had notably stuck 19 seconds to
Stefan Kung!
The European chrono champion intends to take his revenge in Gironde. He crossed the Pyrenees and the Alps as best he could for this purpose. But in the end, it is surely Pogacar who will decide …
Which dolphin, Vingegaard or Carapaz?
Beyond the stage victory in Saint-Emilion, it will be the other big stake of the day… Who will climb, Sunday, in Paris, on the second step of the podium? Vingegaard or Carapaz? Without taking too many risks, the young Dane can approach this latest effort with confidence. He is only six seconds ahead of the Ecuadorian, but that’s it already, and Jonas Vingegaard is much better than Richard Carapaz on this kind of exercise! He proved it between Changé and Laval by signing the third fastest time to everyone’s surprise, behind Pogacar and Kung.
That day, he had simply put 1’17 ” in Carapaz. The podium therefore seems already known, since the Ecuadorian climber does not really have to worry about his third place with a Ben O’Connor who is 2’27 behind him.
A French in the top 10?
If the Tricolores rather disappointed during this 108th edition of the Grande Boucle with only one victory (Julien Alaphilippe during the first stage), Guillaume Martin could (a little) save the honor by going for a top 10. For the instant, the rider Cofidis is in 8th place in the general classification. A place that he should not leave unless there is a huge failure in the Bordeaux vineyards. He is 1’02 ” ahead of his first pursuer Peio Bilbao.
During the time trial of the 5th stage, the Spaniard was only six seconds ahead of the French, and this Saturday the distance will be more or less the same (30.8 km against 27.2 km).
A French victory… Mission impossible!
If you like big odds, this is for you! But personally, we won’t go! It is very unlikely to see a Frenchman win this time. The specialists in the discipline are not there like the champion of France, Benjamin Thomas. In Mayenne, the best tricolor Julian Alaphilippe took only 14th place ahead of his compatriot Pierre Latour.
It is therefore difficult to hope for something for the Blues, especially when we have seen the debauchery of energy of the world champion in this Tour.