The Slovenian prodigy overcame his main opponent, Jonas Vingegaard, and the German Lennard Kämna – the only survivor of the breakaway – in the last meters of the Super Planche des Belles Filles in a demanding test. UAE Emirates performed well as a team setting the pace for the peloton; while the Colombians closed another positive participation, with Martínez in the top 10 of the general classification and Quintana at the door.
An epic definition took place in the Super Planche des Belles Filles after Tadej Pogacar claimed victory in the seventh stage of the Tour de France on July 8, starting in Tomblaine, in the final meters of the mountainous route that had an arrival 7.2 kilometers uphill.
After Pogacar’s UAE Emirates and their domestiques did a formidable job setting the pace of the peloton, the Slovenian and Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) came out to assault Lennard Kämna, leader until now and the only survivor of the group that occurred on the run since the middle of the day.
However, the German melted just 70 meters from the finish line and the dispute was between Pogacar and Vingegaard, the two favorites to win the tournament in the general table. With admirable power, the Slovenian surpassed the Dane to give another blow on the table, defend the yellow jersey and underline his superiority.
The other candidate, Primoz Roglic, finished third, but did not dare to attack in the final meters. The German Kämna crossed fourth in a meritorious, but frustrating, definition.
With his family at the finish line and on the same stage where he won his first Tour de France, Pogacar strengthened his leadership in the first mountain stage of this edition. He is now 35 seconds ahead of Vingegaard and 70 seconds ahead of Britain’s Geraint Thomas, the 2018 winner.
“When Vingegaard attacked me, I told myself that my teammates fought all day and I had to reward them,” said the UAE rider. “Vingegaard is one of the best climbers, he has a very strong team and it was hard for me to catch him, but he wanted to win at all costs,” he said.
While he stressed the importance of this stage for him due to the presence of his family. “It was a special day to win,” he added.
Regarding the continuity of the competition, he assured that “the tour is not over, there are still many ports to climb”. Regarding the fight for the yellow jersey, he clarified that “the difference in the general classification is not huge”.
On Saturday’s stage, the Tour will head towards Switzerland. Departing from Dole, in French territory, the arrival will be next to the Lausanne stadium, a Swiss city where the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee is located.
With a route of just over 186 kilometers, it will be another mountainous day that will contain four mountain passes.
Martínez holds on to Top 10, Quintana waits
The performance of the Colombians was once again positive. In a demanding stage, the three competitors arrived in the pack that advanced behind Pogacar, Vingegaard and Kämna.
On the Planche des Belles Filles, Daniel Martínez and Rigoberto Urán finished 11th and 12th respectively, 35” behind the Slovenian. While Nairo Quintana was 15th, with 51”.
However, in the general table, Daniel Martínez fell two positions, but remains within the top ten; while Nairo Quintana kept his place on the eleventh step. The one who rose was Urán, who now ranked 16th, more than three minutes away.
Nairo was satisfied with his performance after resisting in the main pack the last few kilometers uphill, dropping meters before reaching the finish line. “I missed the last stretch, very explosive,” he asserted.
While he admitted that he had “suffering” in the final 1000 meters, where the levels reached 24%. “On the final ramp I was a little short of breath, but we continue with optimism and keep going”, she explained. “We have to be happy, eager, motivated, regardless of the result we want, we have to give everything every day,” she closed.
The reactions on the Planche des Belles Filles
The German Lennard Kämna was one of those who added the most emotion to the tough stage this Friday. The Bora Hansgrohe rider had beaten his teammate and compatriot, Maximilian Schachmann, in the breakaway from the peloton, but was overtaken 70 meters from the finish by Pogacar, Vingegaard and Roglic.
After the competition, the Teuton stated that “losing at the end by ten seconds is a shame”. “What the fuck, what can you do about this? We did everything we could,” he lamented.
For his part, the Slovenian Roglic gave a show of character after getting a place on the podium after suffering a shoulder injury on Wednesday and not being physically fit. “I can be satisfied with my classification. The pain after my crash on Wednesday is no excuse for me and I refuse to throw in the towel,” he remarked.
Lastly, the Belgian Wout van Aert, who now wears green for leading the points table, was optimistic that Jumbo-Visma would win this Tour de France. “Pogacar won, but we still showed that we are there. This means that with Vingegaard and Roglic we will be able to compete in the high mountains. I still firmly believe in the victory of the team,” he said.
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