Two men and one destiny. The Slovenian Tadej Pogacar (25 years old) and the danish Jonas Vingegaard (27 years old) is avoided. Both riders, two of the remaining cyclists in the peloton, are two of the top contenders for victory in Tour de Francewhich will be held this year from June 29 to July 21. ‘Handsome’ will be looking to regain the throne that ‘the Pale Rider’ took from him in 2022, after he achieved a double streak and seems to be a homeless cyclist in ‘Big Boucle’. But in the year of his second victory, Vingegaard showed his claws by finishing 2nd and in the following two years he advanced and won the overall victory. He has two in a row and is aiming for a triplet this year which no one has achieved since he did it Chris Froome (2015, 2016, 2017).
Last year both cyclists only coincided in the Tour de France and this year the same will happen, with the difference that both slightly changed their race program. At this point in the season, both have the same number of partial victories, 5, and Vingegaard has competed two more days of competition than Pogacar (11). While the Dane started the season in the same race last year, O Great Roadwhere he swept again, and then changed Paris-Nice for Tyrrhenian-Adriaticwhere he won again, starting Monday he will repeat at Itzuliawho seeks to reaffirm the success of 2023. Then, the runner of Team Visma this will close the first block of races and prepare the attack on Tour de France within Dauphiné Criteriumas it had done in the preceding three years.
Pogacar, more daring
On the other hand, the Pogacar calendar is more bold and varied, so to speak. Then marvel at Street Bianchebe third to Milan-San Remo and dominate the Cycling Tour in Catalonia –where he made his debut because he considered it the best preparation for the Giro d’Italia–, ‘Pogi’ took a rest in the Sierra Nevada, before repeating in Liege and attacking the Giro for the first time, and then going for the third . victory in the Tour de France. Pogacar is looking for something that only seven privileged people have achieved so far in the history of cycling: Fausto Coppi, Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Stephen Roche, Miguel Indurain and Marco Pantani.
It was the first time they met on the Tour and the most likely thing now is that they won’t meet again this season. So far none of them seem to have confirmed their presence in the Olympic Games in Paris nor to worldwhich will be held this year in Switzerland from September 22 to 29. While Pogacar bet in Canada –Grand Prix of Quebec and Montreal– and by Il Lombardiawhere last year he closed the season with victory, Vingegaard is thinking about his new landing in the Vuelta after settling for 2nd in 2023, with the victory of his teammate Sepp Kuss. Vingegaard is trying to emulate the only two cyclists to ever win the Tour and the Vuelta: Jacques Anquetil (1963) and Bernard Hinault (1978).
Time will tell which path will be the most successful, Jonas Vingegaard’s or Tadej Pogacar’s
Source: La Verdad
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