Tadej Pogacar had no have to assault on the ultimate stage of the Tour de France. Defending a lead of greater than 5 minutes in Sunday’s time trial, he was set to comfortably win the race for the third time and first time in three years, anyway.
However defence has not been in his vocabulary throughout this race and he merely couldn’t resist one other assault.
Along with his predominant rival Jonas Vingegaard unable to problem him, Pogacar celebrated his Tour victory in type with a dominant win within the time trial ending in Good for the seventeenth stage win of his already illustrious Tour profession.
The 25-year-old Slovenian rider additionally turned the primary bike owner to safe the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France in the identical 12 months for the reason that late Marco Pantani in 1998.
“To win each collectively is one other stage above,” stated Pogacar, who rides for UAE Workforce Emirates. “I believe that is the primary Grand Tour the place I used to be completely assured each day. Even on the Giro I keep in mind I had one dangerous day. This 12 months, the Tour was simply wonderful. I used to be having fun with it from day one.”
The 2-time defending champion Vingegaard of Denmark was second total. He additionally completed the twenty first and closing stage in second place.
Ottawa’s Derek Gee completed ninth total, simply the third Canadian to complete within the high 10. Steve Bauer was fourth in 1988 and Ryder Hesjedal was fifth in 2010. Gee will symbolize Canada on the Paris Olympics.
Pogacar gained the 34-kilometre time trial on the French Riviera’s roads from Monaco to Good in 45 minutes, 24 seconds. Vingegaard was one minute, 3 seconds behind him and Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel 1:14 again in third spot.
Within the total standings, Vingegaard completed 6:17 behind Pogacar and Evenepoel was third total, 9:18 behind Pogacar — whose different Tour wins got here in 2020 and 2021.
“I am tremendous glad. I can not describe how glad I’m after two arduous years within the Tour de France,” Pogacar stated. “This 12 months the whole lot (was) perfection.”
The race didn’t end in Paris because it often does due to the Olympic Video games. Good mayor Christian Estrosi referred to as the area between the Mediterranean Sea and the southern French Alps “good biking territory.”
