"We hope to enjoy the stage," had pronounced Pogacar 24 hours earlier, securing the third Tour of his career in Isola 2000, the one of reconquest. But how to let glory pass when everyone puts it within your reach. How to show mercy when you are undoubtedly the strongest. Along the roads where he trains from his residence in Montecarlo, in a stage with four mountains that was a pleasure trip for him, the leader raised his arms again, for the fifth time this Tour, winning the mano a mano at the finish line against Jonas Vingegaard. A tyranny that needs an explanation because, indeed, this time it was not sought.
A year ago, defeated twice days before in the Combloux time trial and the Col de la Loze, Pogacar took the victory on a Saturday like this one in the Vosges. A bittersweet farewell that Vingegaard did not have. The Dane had attacked on the last mountain, tired of the movements of a Evenepoel who dreamed of snatching the second place from him. He had asked for collaboration from Tadej that he did not find and had taken him to the final sprint relatively comfortably. And there was no mercy.
Under the scorching sun of Nice, its Vieux Port crowded at the start, the bravest were making calculations for their last chance, many with empty pockets at this point. An unexpected opportunity in the Maritime Alps, where it was predicted that the battle between Pogacar and Vingegaard would continue, the penultimate episode of a perfect script awaiting the final time trial on Sunday.
But everything ended sooner than expected in this Tour due to the overwhelming dominance of the Slovenian, who this Sunday on the French Riviera, in this unforgettable Tour finale, will celebrate his reconquest, the third crown that equals him with Louison Bobet and Greg Lemond, just one away from Chris Froome. He promised a truce and so it was on his part. But he was not going to forgive a historic poker either: the last to achieve something like this was a sprinter, Kittel, in 2017.
And there were hardly any as needy as Movistar, chasing an elusive stage victory for five years (since Nairo Quintana in Valloire), especially in this Tour where they tried so hard (especially with Lazkano and Gaviria in the sprints), where they were left without any cards in the general classification early on with the resignation of Enric Mas. "Like a child," said the Balearic rider who had been feeling lately, third in Superdévoluy, and from the very Col de Braus, early on, aggressive in the search for the breakaway of the day. A protagonist without success: he was awarded the most combative prize and finished fifth in the Couillole.
Enric had managed to break away early, along with Kelderman and Almirail, although on the ascent to Col de Turini, eight dangerous companions joined them, including the always threatening Carapaz - mathematically securing his polka dot jersey to complete an extraordinary Tour - and Marc Soler, released by Pogacar. They had the UAE's permission, but towards the end of the mountain, Soudal Quick Step took responsibility, anticipating their final intentions. Mikel Landa had stated at the start: "Fourth place is within my reach. Joao is very strong, but today's stage is very tough and hot. I will try my luck."
Everything started to be resolved at Col de la Couillole. Among the escapees, Carapaz and Mas were the most powerful and did not take long to show it. And from behind, Landa completed the work of his teammates with a pace that only the top five of the Tour could match. But Soudal's move turned out to be a suicide, a disastrous move. Evenepoel's subsequent attack, without much faith, eliminated the Vitorian, who soon saw all his chances for fourth place dissolved by the diesel power of Almeida. Much worse for Carlos Rodríguez: eliminated from the start, he lost even his sixth place in the general classification to Adam Yates.
When Remco tried again, Vingegaard said enough, unleashed all his champion's rage, and left in the company of a Pogacar to whom everyone was handing victory on a silver platter. The two cycling gods quickly caught Mas and Carapaz, who could not withstand the Danish's deadly pace. And in the last meters, exhausted from Visma, there was no mercy from the leader, who finished with 200 meters to go. It would have been more humiliating not to win his fifth stage, the 16th victory in the Tour at 25 years old.