Amazing victory for Carapaz at the Tour as Pogacar and Evenepoel relentlessly attack Vingegaard

When two predators like each other Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel They smell blood and see weakness in a victim, they are not used to forgiveness and pursue it mercilessly. And this happened in real kilometers of 17th stage of the Tour, championship, which as in boxing is usually the last. While the interest of the stage seems to be focused only on seeing if the Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz will prove his victory on the stage, the leader of the race, the Slovenian pogacar, He wanted to measure the strength of his rivals one day, trying to ensure his victory a little more than Tour de France 2024in what would be his third reign in French territory.

He Olympic champion Carapaz He went ahead and would end up proving a great success ahead of the British Simon Yates and from the Balearic Islands Enric Mas. He is not lucky Artà or his team, Movistar team, when it comes to choosing days where they try to be heroes, but at least they show a non-conformist character and try to find glory, even if it is partial, in one of their runners. The ‘Carchi’ locomotive He would reach his fourth victory of the season, his 23rd as a professional and his first in the Tour, thus writing his name in the elite club of cyclists who have left their signature in three grand tours: Spin, Tour and Return.

The stage, with its broken profile and three climbs in the last 40 kilometers of the day, lent itself to attacks, which they did. There were many escape attempts, and the pace was higher the other day, which added to the heat and how advanced the Tour was, which led to occasional setbacks. Carapace His perseverance and strength paid off and the group of notables was whittled down to only the chosen ones remaining.

Crowned Cabbage Bayard (2nd) he UAE Team Emirates by Pogacar take action, increase speed after delivery another day of João Almeidaand in the last meters of climbing the beautiful Col du Noyer (1st) Pogacar falls behind the elite group. Not because his legs are weak, but to prepare his attack and surprise his rivals. ‘Handsome’ It took off like a rocket Vingegaardlacking the explosiveness of his great rival, he was hard to follow, that’s why Evenepoel He allowed himself the luxury to overtake him as well. Said Remco that he will reach the third week in good condition and in his first Tour he is performing and very well in the high mountains.

On the way down Pogacar He tried to continue doing damage, but his main rival caught up to him. Nonconformist, like a cannibal MerckEvenepoel attacked Vingegaard again when he arrived at Superdévoluy ski resort (3rd), and the winner of the last two editions of the Tour is lucky to be on his side Van Aert and Benoot, otherwise the damage is greater. Evenepoel left and Pogacar also wanted to join the party at the end, in front of a tearful Vingegaard removing as much water as he could from his boat trying to keep it from sinking.

In the end, P.ogacar take two seconds Vingegaard and Evenepoelwho is 2’10”, is now less than two minutes behind the Dane. If this stretch of the Tour is interesting in itself, from now on it will be even more so. The war is absolute and any day could flare up with four episodes left.