July 21, 2024
The Slovenian rider closed a chapter of unquestionable dominance in the Tour de France with a commanding win on the final stage
The evening sun soaked the streets of Nice in gold. As far as the eye could see, the ocean shimmered and glittered, glaring up at pastel-coloured buildings and balconies strewn with yellow flags. The city shone with such splendour that it was almost an embarrassment of riches. Similar, in some ways, to how Tadej Pogačar has won this Tour de France. With his victory in the final time trial, the Slovenian rider will leave the race with six stage wins and a winning margin of over six minutes ahead of Jonas Vingegaard. He has taken it all.
Pogačar has moved at a million miles per hour over the past three weeks. When he crossed the finish line for the final time on the 21st stage, he didn’t even pull his brakes to come to a stop as he reached his teammates. He fell into their embraces, climbed off his bike and the relief was palpable in his celebrations. There had been criticism, pressure and questions asked, but in the end, Pogačar answered everything with his legs. That is what he does best.
He didn’t have to win the final time trial to secure his yellow jersey, but the UAE Team Emirates rider only has one speed: full throttle. He finessed the curves and corners on the rolling coastal roads from Monaco to Nice like he was driving in the Formula One race that the area is famous for. It was the final exhibition in a three-week long show that has been all about one man – right from the start of the race in Italy, there was never really any doubt in Pogačar ability to pull this off.
Of course, there were those who did their best to challenge him. Jonas Vingegaard and Visma-Lease a Bike should be given credit for using every tactic in the book to outnumber the Slovenian rider in the mountains, from satellite riders, to last minute attacks, to mind games and everything in between. Then, there is Remco Evenepoel, the rider who – in his debut Tour de France – wasn’t afraid to trade blows with the top two riders on the podium who share five Tour titles between them. To finish third exceeded most people’s expectations of Evenepoel, and the gravity of his achievement wasn’t lost on the 24-year-old once it all came to a close in Nice.
As Pogačar celebrated wildly…