7th stage of the Tour de France: The new cannibal

Enlarge image

Tadej Pogačar on the finish line ahead of Jonas Vingegaard

Photo: GUILLAUME HORCAJUELO / EPA

The first real mountain:

So far, the Tour de France has only had mountain classifications in Denmark, but now things got really serious.

And how.

The Super Planche des Belles Filles in the Vosges, first category mountain finish, 24 percent gradient to the finish line, what a board.

And the scene of a thrilling final sprint - with German participation.

Result of the stage:

Lennard Kämna, the giant from Bremen, raised in Fischerhude, so far away from everything that looks like Bergen, he played the main role in this cycling spectacle.

Kämna could already see the finish line in front of him and only had to struggle a good 200 meters to reward himself - after he had almost flown up the final climb beforehand.

He was so close to his second Tour stage win, but then came chasing from behind the industry superstars, Tadej Pogačar of Slovenia and Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark, first and second from last year.

They ruthlessly overtook Kämna in the very last meters.

Cycling can be so incredibly cruel.

Pogačar's second stage win in a row.

Impressive and intimidating at the same time.

Best Memories:

For the tour dominator, the La Super Planche des Belles Filles destination has a particularly good ring to it.

Two years ago, the now legendary mountain time trial took place here one day before the end of the tour, when an unleashed Pogačar snatched the overall victory from his compatriot Primož Roglič, who had clearly been the leader up to that point.

In any case, the place, which has already been a stage destination six times in the past ten years, is a good place for later tour winners: The Italian Vincenzo Nibali won here in 2014 and then also the tour.

Blood-soaked past:

A gruesome legend is associated with the name of the stage destination.

According to this, numerous women are said to have fled here from Swedish mercenaries during the Thirty Years' War.

In order not to fall into the hands of the soldiers, the Belles Filles, the pretty daughters, decided to die and jumped into the depths.

That is the legend, but the reality was no less terrible: War and devastation have left deep scars in the region.

The three wars against Germany between 1870 and 1945 also raged here in the Vosges.

From a German point of view:

This stage was shaped by the German riders.

A breakaway group had already formed 120 kilometers from the finish, including Kämna, Maximilian Schachmann and Simon Geschke.

The total of seven drivers stayed in front until the last hill, some of them had a lead of three minutes.

Schachmann was the first to tear away, Geschke then attacked, pulled away in the mountain, then Kämna followed him and let him stand almost effortlessly.

But there is one who is even bigger.

Pogačar and his group closed the gap to the leaders by the second.

The Germans went unrewarded.

Pogačar's family was visiting the destination, so Kämna should have known that the Slovenian wanted to put on a special show for them.

Country and people and animals:

The region around the stage destination is considered a retreat for the capercaillie.

The fact that ARD live commentator Florian Naß, who can otherwise indulge in information about the culture and landscape of France so wonderfully, forgot to mention this is of course unforgivable.

Uncanny dominance:

on three consecutive days it was first over cobblestones, then over the long distance, then into the mountains.

Three very different challenges, and in all of them Pogačar was maddeningly superior.

Eddie Merckx was once called the cannibal because he wanted every win so badly because he couldn't let anyone else succeed.

One who ate up his opponents.

The field now has someone like Eddie Merckx again.

The new Armstrong?

Pogačar is also often compared to Lance Armstrong, but he's very different.

Armstrong drove the tours calculated to victory, he had his team watching his back.

Pogačar, on the other hand, doesn't need a team.

That this superiority has something shuddering about it, also and especially in view of the infamous history of cycling, is undisputed.

The view:

On Saturday and Sunday we're going to Switzerland, first to Lake Geneva, then to the foothills of the cantons of Vaud and Valais.

No super-difficult stages, actually a perfect opportunity for the mountain-hard speed riders.

So for people like Lennard Kämna.

If he can handle today's low blow.