The first breath of the Alps, in the Tour, gave Tadej Pogacar and his ailing UAE team, which continues to suffer due to covid 19, the creeps.
This Tuesday, the UAE fired another gregarious, George Bennett, with which Pogacar was exposed for the super stages this Wednesday and Thursday, in Col de Granon and Alpe d’Huez. Before, also due to coronavirus, he lost Vegard Stake Laengen.
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Test was interrupted
38 km from the arrival in Megève, there was a new start due to the presence of protesters on the asphalt. The race was neutralized for 15 minutes and a new start was given with the differences recorded at the time of the interruption
The runner in the lead, the Italian Alberto Bettiol (EF), He was able to pass the barrier formed by half a dozen protesters sitting on the road, amid smoke from flares.
Bettiol was stopped moments later to be able to respect the differences, of about 20 seconds over a group of 24 pursuers and about 7 minutes over the peloton.
A group of climate activists, called “Last Renovation”, They claimed responsibility for the operation on social networks, an act with the aim of “stopping the mad race towards the destruction of our society,” according to their statement. “We cannot remain spectators of the climatic disaster that is taking place. We have 989 days left to save our future, our humanity”, some of the protesters had written on a T-shirt, as reported by the EFE agency.
Already in the race, the hair on end was also caused by the Germann Lennard Kamna, among the protagonists of the escape of the day. At that moment, the peloton slowed down and gave free rein to the 25 escapees. That helped the German, because if that difference was maintained, he could dress as a leader. But in the last km the pack picked up speed and Poggy launched a sprint that helped him protect his lead and show his rivals that, even without a team, he has plenty of strength to defend himself.
few differences
Pogacar held his lead barely by 11 seconds over Kamna, who is now second. Vingegaard jumped to third place, 39 seconds behind. Instead, Colombian Nairo Quintana, from Arkea, dropped out of the top 10 because of the escape, and is now 12 at 2:13.
The stage was won by Danes Magnus Cort Nielsen, of Education First, with a time of 3 hours, 18 minutes and 50 seconds. The charismatic ‘bozo de leche’, a close friend of Rigo Urán, won in a close fight with the Australian Nick Schultz. Uranus he lost almost a minute with the favorites and Dani Martínez, still sick, more than 11.
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The best will come this Wednesday, with the 151 km between Albertville and Col de Granon, with more than 4 thousand meters of accumulated difference in altitude and 4 mountain awards, two “out of category”: the Galibier and Serre Chevalier. There, in 1986, the Spanish Eduardo Chozas won.
Then, on Thursday, Alpe d’Huez, where Lucho Herrera, the ‘Jardinerito de Fusagasugá’, bled past the finish line in 1984, defeating Laurent Fignon and Bernard Hinault.
The covid lurks and Pogacar is staying alone, it’s the right time to attack him. Can Jumbo and Ineos really do it or will the Slovenian turn them to dust in alpine landscapes?
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