Pogacar shocked Roglic at the Tour de France: The explosion

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Tadej Pogacar: "I feel like my head is going to explode"

Photo: ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT / AFP

The shock:

Primoz Roglic struggled the last few meters up to the Planche des Belles Filles.

The man in yellow was white in the face.

As if he had followed the distances in his mind's eye.

First challenger Tadej Pogacar had shortened his deficit from 57 to 30 seconds in the flat area of ​​the time trial.

Then came the climb - and Roglic collapsed completely.

The 21-year-old Pogacar left the best driver of the tour to date by 1:56 minutes.

A performance explosion.

The

unbelievable

Pogacar watched as Roglic rolled to the finish and clapped his hands over his face.

He will win the Tour de France as the youngest rider since Henri Cornet in 1904. A few meters away, Roglic sat on the asphalt, his eyes and legs completely empty.

Tom Dumoulin hugged his captain, but he didn't respond.

When Pogacar was sitting at the winner's interview, Roglic got up, went to his colleague and hugged him.

In all objectivity:

Tadej Pogacar won the 36.2 kilometer individual time trial from Lure up to the Planche des Belles Filles.

Pogacar was 1:21 minutes faster than Tom Dumoulin and Richie Porte.

Primoz Roglic finished fifth and lost the yellow jersey to Pogacar.

Read the stage report here.

The reality:

"I think I'm dreaming. I feel like my head is going to explode," said Pogacar.

"I heard the distances on the radio in the flat part of the track. But when I got to the mountain, I didn't hear anything because the fans were so loud."

Shortly before the climb, the 21-year-old switched from his time trial to his normal road bike.

He was even faster on the mountain towards the yellow jersey.

"Actually, it wasn't my dream to win the Tour de France," explained Pogacar: "I just wanted to be in the Tour de France."

The record man:

Provided he reaches Paris on Sunday, Pogacar will not only win the yellow jersey.

He will also be the best driver in the mountain and youth class.

Nobody has done that before.

On top of that, Pogacar achieved all of this on his debut.

The last rider to win his first Tour de France was Laurent Fignon in 1983.

One-Man-Show:

Before the tour, there was actually only talk about whether Team Ineos or Team Jumbo-Visma would have the better team to lead their captain to the tour victory.

The result now questions whether good domestics are so important at all.

In any case, UAE professional Pogacar often had no helpers with him in the mountains, but held onto the rear wheel of Roglic and Jumbo-Visma.

And in the individual time trial, the one-man show, he then clearly beat them all.

"We found new heroes on this tour," said SPIEGEL expert and ex-professional Marcel Kittel.

Apropos Fignon:

To be clear: Primoz Roglic is actually an excellent time trial and climber.

The fact that he loses so much time on Pogacar cannot only be explained by his strong performance, Roglic apparently also had a bad day.

"I can't believe how difficult it must be for him," said Pogacar: "He must be devastated. But these are bike races."

This tour finale only seems comparable to that of 1989, when Greg LeMond overtook his competitor Lauren Fignon on the last stage, also a time trial.

The wheel change:

Even before the stage, it was speculated whether the top riders would change their bikes on the route.

There were different approaches: Wout van Aert switched to his road bike in front of the Planche des Belles Filles, Tom Dumoulin stayed on his time trial machine.

But the timing of the change varied.

Pogacar switched earlier than Roglic, who changed bikes in the middle of the fan masses - not a tactically ideal place.

In the end, however, it wasn't just that.

The Shepherd:

It was like a home game for Thibaut Pinot, the Frenchman is at home in the Vosges.

Here he lives with his goats, whom he said goodbye to before the tour with hopes of the yellow jersey.

However, they were quickly gone after a fall on the first stage.

In the Vosges, fans still love Pinot, as shown by the many lettering on the road up to the Planche des Belles Filles.

Perhaps that will have given him confidence to start the tour again next.

From Monday he can look forward to his goats again, whose love Pinot is certain.

And tomorrow?

It is tradition that the yellow jersey is no longer attacked on the way to Paris.

Anyone who tries that would probably be tarred and feathered on the Champs-Élysées.

In any case, as long as he doesn't fall or get stung by a bee in the mouth, Pogacar will win the Tour de France.

On the 21st stage over 122.5 kilometers from Mantes-La-Jolie to and through Paris, it's all about the prestigious sprint victory.

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