Sat, Jul 17, 2021 page16

• Leader Pogacar dominates in Pyrenees

  ‘PRELIMINARY INQUIRY’: The peloton set off from Pau under a shadow after an overnight anti-doping raid on Team Bahrain Victorious at their hotel by French police

  • AFP, LUZ ARDIDEN, France
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  Overall leader Tadej Pogacar on Thursday again proved his dominance on the Tour de France as he won a second consecutive mountain stage in the Pyrenees and said “it’s a game for me.”

  On a short final mountain stage of 130km, Pogacar outlasted his two closest rivals, Jonas Vingegaard and Richard Carapaz, just as he did the previous day.

  The reigning champion continued the most dominant run in recent Tour memory, by climbing onto the podium four times — as stage winner, best young rider, best climber and general classification leader.

  

  UAE Team Emirates rider Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia rides in the 18th stage of the Tour de France from Pau to Luz Ardiden on Thursday.

  Photo: Reuters

  The peloton left Pau under a shadow after an overnight anti-doping raid on Team Bahrain Victorious at their hotel.

  “It’s something strange, maybe just one more control to see nobody’s hiding anything,” Pogacar said.

  “We only found out in the morning. I don’t know what to think,” he said of the raid.

  However, by the time an Ineos Grenadiers quartet were leading the remnants of the peloton up the final climb of this year’s Tour, the focus was on the possible challenges to the leader on the road.

  “It was full-gas racing today, Ineos were pressing from deep,” Pogacar said of what was likely Carapaz’s last chance to unseat him.

  “We had nothing to lose today, so we are happy,” Carapaz said. “Our goal was to win the stage, I think we put up a good fight.”

  With 3km left, Pogacar, Vingegaard and Carapaz were left to cross swords in a pulsating uphill battle to a finish line above the clouds at the ski resort of Luz Ardiden, with hundreds of thousands of fans along the roadside and French President Emmanuel Macron in the director’s car at the head of the action.

  The struggle was quickly settled.

  Pogacar raced ahead with ease over the final kilometer and slowed down to take a look over his shoulder as he crossed the line for his third stage win this year.

  “I felt good and I’m really happy with the win. It’s a game for me, I’m enjoying playing it,” said the 22-year-old, who has dominated in the mountains and on the all important time trials, just as Spaniard Alberto Contador and Briton Chris Froome did in their time.

  However, Pogacar was adamant he was not on the cusp of greatness.

  “This is not the ‘Pogacar era,’ but for sure a new generation is here,” he said. “It’s important to have fun and enjoy what you are doing. Some you win, some you lose, but always have fun, my coach says.”

  However, he did admit having concerns about the final challenge, a 30km time trial.

  “You can lose six minutes over 30km like that,” he said.

  Pogacar had pulverized the opposition in the first time trial which he won on stage five.

  Pogacar was leading Denmark’s Vingegaard by almost six minutes, with Carapaz right on the Team Jumbo-Visma man’s tail in third with three stages left.

  Whatever happens in Paris, the events in Pau on Thursday might take longer to run their course, after French police said the investigation was in its preliminary stages.

  “A preliminary inquiry has been opened to see if there has been, or not, acquisition, transport or possession of banned substances,” said the Marseille-based police unit overseeing the probe.
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