There is no doubt that when one's name is Tadej Pogačar and he takes the start in a race like the Tour de Francewho comes from winning it twice, there is no other objective than the final victory. But three weeks in France are a lot of things and script twists. And we are not aware of how much of a miracle there is for these people to pass 21 stages to arrive safe and sound in Paris.
Tadej Pogačar's 2022 Tour meant a third Tour. for the UAE Team Emirates captain and he finished second, after having been first in his first two participations. This alone explains the size of the achievement of a rider who right now, even if he no longer competes, is already the history of the sport,
Y is only 23 years old.
Three weeks of the best cycling in the world
We had left the story at the end of the first third of the race, with Tadej Pogačar in yellow, not only sporting the lead, but also winning stages and intimidating rivals. However, and despite the power of individuality, cycling always shows you that the collective is above all else..
It took a highly motivated team in the form of its life to undermine the power of the Slovenian leader. It was on the queen day of the race, in the Alps, not far from the Italian border.in the magical enclave of the Galibier, where the Jumbo started like little hornets to fly around the leader with combined attacks and long-distance jumps, to set the stage for Jonas Vingegaard's final attack, which was on the Granon and half sentenced the race.
A Tadej Pogačar, broken by containing so many attacks, took advantage of the great work of his teammates, Rafal Makja and Marc Soler, to minimize some losses that in the end would be decisive.
With the jersey best young player backTadej Pogačar dedicated himself to test the leader Vingegaard on every climb, on every descent, on every pass in the Pyrenees... with no luck. The Dane was in the form of his life, facing a bogeyman named Tadej, who had, in the stage that ended in Peyragudes, a brutal work of Brandon McNulty that led him almost to the victory itself..
The smile always ahead
Not renewing his crown for the third consecutive year, never erased the smile and the good character to Tadej Pogačar during the competition. Always in front, attentive and ready to tickle the leader, but conceding the great race of his rival.
It is true that from this battle Tadej Pogačar will have to draw conclusions for the future.But it is also true that UAE Team Emirates fought with everything they had and held on until the end, with a trickle of withdrawals and setbacks that forced the best collective work to pull through the race with flying colors.
Tadej Pogačar was very well supported as far as he was able.especially by Rafal Majka y Marc Soler in the Alps and the aforementioned McNulty in the Pyrenees. Injuries, such as the blow to Majka's knee when he had a mechanical incident in the middle of a climb, or health problems, such as the one that sidelined Marc Soler in a very hard solo crossing of the Massif Central, which did not prevent him from arriving out of control.
In spite of everything, the team leaves with three stagessecond place in the overall standings and another jersey best young rider.
