Mathieu Warnier, Media365: published on Saturday October 12, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.
While his teammates threw him into an armchair a little less than 50 kilometers from the finish, Tadej Pogacar did not fail to associate them with his fourth success in a row on the Tour of Lombardy.
Tadej Pogacar surprised no one. A week after crushing the Tour d’Emilie, the world champion once again showed off his rainbow jersey. Triple title holder on the Tour of Lombardy, the Slovenian added a new line to his record to follow in the footsteps of the legend Fausto Coppi with a fourth victory in a row on the final Monument of the season. Affirming that “every victory is special” and that what he acquired this Saturday is just as much, Tadej Pogacar highlighted the work of a UAE Team Emirates team totally committed to his cause and which launched him perfectly on the slopes from the Colma di Sormano. “The team has worked so hard throughout the season for all the victories we have achieved and today (Saturday) is no different,” he added. It was a big day for us, a long and difficult race during which everything depended on our team. However, we did a very good job and I am super happy to have won with this team. » As is often the case this year, Tadej Pogacar left everyone behind him a good distance from the finish. This time, it was with just over 48 kilometers to go that the wearer of the rainbow jersey flew to victory. Unlike his crazy move in Zurich, this offensive was perfectly planned from the start.
Pogacar: “I just took advantage of the crowd”
“We planned to do that,” he said. The race is so difficult that in the last 40 kilometers it’s more or less a mano-a-mano. » While Remco Evenepoel quickly understood that he was not able to compete, Tadej Pogacar aimed to “build a nice gap at the top” of the penultimate difficulty of the course and then manage his efforts in the final leading to Como to cross the finish line alone. The Slovenian, however, admitted to having experienced “a fright” in “a false descent” during this new solo raid. “There, I tried to attack to gain a few seconds and win the mental game during this pursuit,” he added. Then it was everyone for themselves until the finish anyway. » Asked what might have gone through his mind over the long kilometers spent alone at the front of the race, Tadej Pogacar responded candidly. “I just enjoyed the crowd and looked forward to the end of the season,” he said. While he is only the second rider to reach 25 victories in a season in the 21st century, after Alessandro Petacchi, the Slovenian assured that he did not want to dwell on statistics and records. “We’ll see that at the end of my career,” he concluded. But the figures for a simply exceptional year 2024 will be remembered.
Related News :