Unprecedented forces, humiliated opponents with deep gaps (and the Alps still missing)

To understand What was it like touring and cycling before, before Mars came, Let’s go back to July 21, 2019 when the 15th stage of the Grande Boucle ended in Foix Prat D’Albis (in the Pyrenees) with Tadej Pogacar (19 years old at the time) Jonas Vingegaard (22) Watching in front of the TV for the last time. That evening he was wearing the yellow shirt. Julian AlaphilippeIn fourth place we find another French idol. Pino (+1’50”) and the Colombian is in tenth place. Professional life At 10′. As many as 39 athletes were floating within an hour of the winner: record gaps over the past 30 years.

The tour starts again today. From Gruissan to Nimes (Stage 16 almost touches Provence) belongs to another sporting era. After dominating the plateau of Bale, Tadej Pogacar (advanced by Vingegaard and Evenepoel) has 11 minutes in fourth (Almeida) and 16’30” in tenth, the Colombian Buitrago. Only 21 athletes are less than an hour behind them and the last two (+57 minutes) are phenomena who won the Tour, Giroud, Bernal and Carapaz. Today’s cycling is done at three speeds: the astronomical speed of Pogacar, the spatial speed of Vingegaard and the highway of the other speeds. The 39’58” Bogie on the Bell Plateau on Sunday shocked the experts. Of the cyclists who are able to Climb 1900 meters of elevation difference In modern times there were about fifteen of them but at most for 25’/30′ not the Slovenian 40′.

At 15 kilometres, Pogacar can pedal at 6.8 watts per kilogram of body weight, 0.8 more than his best pursuers: It’s the difference between a Moto GP car and a road 500. Vingegaard is cut from the same cloth: The fact that he also broke Pantani’s record just three months after the horrific race accident in the Basque Country speaks volumes. The difference between him and the Slovenian is cleverness: Pogacar also wins in go-karts, and is currently the only Dane to win in the grands prix.

I am definitely behind these shows. Technological and tactical components. Pogacar’s Colnago has nothing to do with the excellent 1998 Bianchi de Pantani. Lightness, aerodynamics and smoothness of its components, But the essential element of the Giro and the Tour of Slovenia is a team of champions who can shoot to death on the first part of the climb – where he remains relatively calm – and then unleash it on the final. When Tadej is riding on 10% gradients (we saw that on Sunday in the five-kilometre race where Vingegaard cheated himself out of the breakaway) he can look around and have a cup of tea.

Biking in Bugi and Vingo Not a big deal for the rest of the group: mysterious, almost. It insults every other performance. Remco Evenepoel – Phenomenon on a great run and will try to win in Paris it’s time Against Jana – He runs great but is out in the first race. The others seem to be extras: The great French hopes (Gaudot, Martinez, Bardet) were already stunned in the first or second stage.Their teams wonder what sense they have in investing everything in a tour that for the next three or four or more years will be the absolute monopoly of two men. From Thursday to Saturday, the race challenges the Alps: the gaps will be wider.The increasingly beaten paths and time limits are a chasm for runners.