For the suspense, we’ll come back… As expected, Tadej Pogacar took control of the Tour of Italy, Sunday May 5, on the slopes of the Oropa sanctuary, where he won the 2e solo stage.
The leader of the UAE Emirates team, huge favorite of the 107e edition of the Giro, whose finish will be judged on May 26 in Rome, beat the Colombian Daniel Martinez (Bora-Hansgrohe), 2eand the Welshman Geraint Thomas (INEOS), 3e, by 27 seconds at the end of 161 kilometers. In the general classification, Pogacar, now wearing the leader’s pink jersey, is ahead of Thomas and Martinez by 45 seconds.
The Slovenian, however, suffered a small scare when he fell in slow motion after a puncture, a few kilometers from the foot of the final climb. Waited for by two teammates, Pogacar quickly returned to the peloton of favorites, which he broke apart about four kilometers from the finish by placing a formidable acceleration.
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His disappointment then his return to the lead of the race recalled the brilliant stroke of the Italian Marco Pantani, winner in Oropa just 25 years ago despite a chain break at the foot of the climb, during the 15e stage of the 1999 Tour of Italy. “I wasn’t really scared. [après ma chute]there is a little confusion with the car [de son directeur sportif]I wanted to stop before the turn, not after, but everything is fine »explained on arrival.
Stage winner on the three Grand Tours
Thanks to this victory, Pogacar, who is participating in the Giro for the first time, is now part of the closed circle of riders who have won stages in the three Grand Tours (France, Italy, Spain). “It was one of my dreams to achieve this hat-trick in the Grand Tours, few riders have achieved it”said the Slovenian.
“We said to ourselves that we would attack 3 or 4 km from the finish, we didn’t really know the last climb, but we did a good job. The objective of winning a stage and taking the pink jersey has been achieved, we will be able to stay safe during the next stages, which will be favorable to the sprinters”indicated the double winner of the Tour de France (2020 and 2021).
Saturday in Turin, Pogacar had already ranked 3rd in the inaugural stage, only beaten in the sprint by the Ecuadorian Narvaez (INEOS) and the German Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe).
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Pogacar is aiming for a rare feat, the Tour d’Italia-Tour de France double in the same year which was won by only seven big names in cycling: Fausto Coppi (1949 and 1952), Jacques Anquetil (1964), Eddy Merckx (1970). , 1972 and 1974), Bernard Hinault (1982 and 1985), Stephen Roche (1987), Miguel Indurain (1992 and 1993) and Marco Pantani, in 1998.
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The first Frenchman in the general classification is Alex Baudin (Décathon-AG2R La Mondiale), 13th, 1 min 38 sec behind Pogacar. Romain Bardet (DSN) is 22nd, 2 min 31 sec behind the Slovenian. As for Julian Alaphilippe, he quickly let go on the last climb this Sunday, finishing the stage in 60th place, 7 min 24 sec behind the winner of the day.
