Tadej Pogačar deserved his fourth title of the Tour de France with a comfortable margin after the last Sunday stage, which he tried to win even if he did not need it.
The 26 -year -old Slovenian runner won the Tour last year in 2020 and 2021.
“I am speechless to have won the Tour de France. This one is particularly magnificent, “he said. “I am very proud to be able to wear this yellow jersey.”
The leader of the UAE Team Emirates team praised his teammates.
“I think the second week was the decisive moment,” said Pogačar.
“We have taken more advantages and went more comfortably in the third week. »»
Jonas Vingegaard, double champion of the tour, finished the 21 stages four minutes, 24 seconds of Pogačar, in second place, and Florian Lipowitz followed 11 minutes from the winner.
It is the fifth consecutive year that Pogačar and Vingegaard have occupied the first two positions in the final classification.
Vingegaard was second in 2021, before finishing in front of Pogačar the next two years. When Pogačar recovered its title last year, Vingegaard was second.
“We have raised the level of one and the other much higher and we are in the limit,” said Pogačar. “I must tell him, great respect.”
Break with tradition
The Belgian Wout Van Aert won the 21st and last step, which broke with tradition and included three climbs of the Montmartre hill.
Traditionally, the last step is largely a processional, the runners making Tours de Paris.
The Tour derogated from this practice after the success of the road race at the Paris Olympic Games, which also passed through Montmartre, famous for his Basilica in the Sacred Heart.
Quebecer Guillaume Boivin completed the stage in 33rd position, a few five minutes from the Belgian. The Ottavian Michael Woods ranked 153rd, more than 14 minutes from the head.
In the general classification, Woods took the 52nd row, at 3:06 am: 59 from Pogačar, and Boivin concluded the tour in 149th place, at 5:37 am: 44 of the winner.
NEUTRALIZED CHRONS
Due to the risk of heavy rains and falls, the organizers had decided earlier to neutralize the times 50 kilometers from the end, actually giving victory to Pogačar, but provided that it crosses the finish line.
Pogačar did not need to challenge the stage victory, especially given the danger of falling on the slippery roads.
However, while the rain fell abundantly, he showed his relentless thirst for victory and still attacked, printing a frantic pace in the climbs of Montmartre, under the cheers of supporters throughout Lepic Street, paved, with flags and fans hanging on the windows.
There were only five runners with Pogačar only in the third ascent of the Côte de Montmartre, 1.1 km long.
After rejecting the American Matteo Jorgenson, he was taken cold near the summit when Van Aert launched an astounding attack to drop – yes, drop! – Pogačar, the best climber in the world, in the steepest part.
“Hats off in Wout, it was incredibly strong,” rented Pogačar.
The Slovenian seemed tired when he crossed the finish line, on the famous Champs-Élysées, in fourth place, 19 seconds behind.
But it was time to celebrate the fourth title. Although don’t expect Pogačar to make the headlines on this front.
“Everyone celebrates in their own way, I just want peace and good weather, not like here today,” said Pogačar. “Just to enjoy a few quiet days at home. »»
Only four runners won the Grand Tour’s flagship race five times: the Belgian Eddy Merckx, the Spaniard Miguel Induráin and the French Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault.
Pogačar has won four stages this year to bring its Tour list to 21 and 30 in major races, including six in the Giro d’Italia and three in the Spanish Vuelta.
Pogačar also won the Italian Giro, thus becoming the first cyclist last year to achieve the double Giro-Tour in the same season since the late Marco Pantani in 1998.
But Pogačar has not yet won the Spanish Vuelta, while Anquetil, Hinault and Merckx won the three major races.
