Keystone SDA | Sunday, September 29, 2024
Tadej Pogacar celebrates, exhausted after a very long solo ride
Quelle: KEYSTONE/TIL BUERGY
Tadej Pogacar wins the rainbow jersey in the road race at the World Cycling Championships in Zurich. The Slovenian wins after an impressive solo ride.
As the best Swiss, Marc Hirschi crossed the finish line in sixth place with the first chasing group. Australian Ben O’Connor surprisingly took silver, while defending champion Mathieu van der Poel took bronze.
Hirschi tried several times in the final lap to break away from his companions behind Pogacar. But he didn’t get through. He had no chance in the sprint for the medals.
With the world title, Pogacar closed another gap in his already outstanding Palmarès. The three-time winner of the Tour de France really wanted the world title in Zurich and grabbed it with a hussar ride. The route, 273 km long, with some brutal climbs spread over almost 4500 meters in altitude, and with constant ups and downs, made for an impressive solo ride.
The 26-year-old Slovenian had already flexed his muscles 100 km before the finish. It would prove to be a decisive attack. On a longer climb in Wittikon he left all of his co-favorites behind and caught up with the leading group. There, team colleague Jan Tratnik, a strong time trialist, set the pace before Pogacar also dismantled this group into its individual parts 78 km from the finish.
Even at the back of the field, coordinated follow-up work was no longer an option with 50 km to go. On the hilly course everyone drove on their own account, although Hirschi, the double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel and the defending champion Mathieu van der Poel found themselves in a group.
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