Tadej Pogacar is on another level. After the performance he made on Sunday in the most difficult stage of the Giro d’Italia, a stage that leaves a mark and makes a difference, he left the race almost ready for judgment, doubling the difference in one stage ‘ which is 222 kilometers and 5,400 meters of elevation gain. A stage needed to determine who is the best rider in a grand tour.
On Sunday, Tadej left this mark where he made it clear that he is in a different category, above his rivals. Maybe only cyclists like Vingegaard, Roglic or Evenepoel can try to keep up with him or make it difficult for him, but that won’t happen here in the Giro.
Before arriving in Livigno, almost all the advantage that Pogacar had over Geraint Thomas and Daniel Martínez was generated in two time trials: the Briton gained 1’59” in the first and 46″ in the second, in addition to 27 ” in Oropa, and the Colombian, 1’48” and 1’16” in two CRIs, including 27″ in climbing Oropa, in the mountains. In Livigno they took three minutes each, showing great efficiency on a very high mountain stage.
It is also worth noting that Livigno was a truly crazy stage, with a first breakaway of 62 runners, with 222 kilometers still ahead, and in the end, Nairo Quintana was amazing, he was the hero of the day that and was on the verge of winning, finishing second, 29″ from Pogacar.
You have to recognize the effort, the expenditure of energy of being involved in so many and complicated breakaways, and still having the legs to carry the breakaway flag until about a kilometer from the end, which is where Tadej caught him. This is also cycling and it should be appreciated. It gives me great joy to see a great champion like Nairo making the exhibition that he also did on the Livigno stage.
We still have one last week left. It was not going to be a successful walk, as there were three tough days of mountain climbing left. Today, after a rest day, there will be a difficult arrival, in the last 36 kilometers of ascent to Santa Cristina Val Gardena.
On Wednesday, another good day with a lot of accumulated unevenness, twice the Passo de Brocón, which will be the end of the race and more than 4,000 meters of unevenness. Five star episode.
Like the stages on Friday and Saturday, especially the latter, where you will also pass Monte Grappa twice (18 kilometers at 8.1% gradient), which will close the hardness of the last week of the Turn.
The advantage that Pogacar has in the general classification allows him to control the race very quietly, with Thomas at 6’41” and Martínez at 6:56″ in the general classification.
The battle is for the podium, to defend it or reach it, with riders like O’Connor, Arensman doing better in the Giro, and to see if Thomas and Martínez can stay in second and third. There is another category of riders behind Tadej and there is interest to see how those positions, the podium and the Top10. There are still many stages to see how everything becomes clearer.
Perhaps it is necessary to see if Pogacar, with the form he is showing and with a certain calmness, and if any of the three difficult stages that remain at the end are close to being reached, will try to win another stage, which has he. completed four, and increased their lead to double digits, surpassing the 10-minute advantage over the second place team. Is it within your reach? This will be an important fact in modern cycling, opening up such a difference between first and second in general.
This is a hypothesis that I am dropping, a week from graduation, but it seems to me, if you put your mind to it, you can achieve it.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
