In an electrifying showdown in the French Alps, Tadej Pogacar 🚴♂️💥 outpaced his fierce rival, two-time defending champion Jonas Vingegaard, to clinch Stage 20 of the Tour de France on Saturday. The victory brings Pogacar tantalizingly close to claiming his third Tour title! 🏆🇸🇮
The Slovenian superstar secured his fifth stage win in this year's race, showcasing incredible endurance and strategy. Staying right on Vingegaard's wheel during the grueling 132.8-kilometer mountain trek from Nice, Pogacar put the hammer down 🔨 with just 250 meters to go, leaving the Danish champion in his wake.
\"I enjoyed it very much. I couldn't be happier with another stage win,\" Pogacar beamed after the race. \"Just one more day, and tomorrow I think I'm going to enjoy it as well. If you had told me this before the Tour, I would not have believed it.\"
With this win, Pogacar leads Vingegaard by a commanding five minutes and 14 seconds in the overall standings. Belgium's Remco Evenepoel sits in third place, another 2 minutes and 50 seconds behind.
For Vingegaard, it was a tough finish. He had hoped to widen the gap between himself and Evenepoel, especially after the Belgian's earlier attack on the Col de la Couillole fizzled out. But Pogacar was relentless, shadowing Vingegaard until the perfect moment to strike.
\"Vingegaard showed today he was not easy to crack and he did a good ride today,\" admitted Pogacar. \"Tomorrow let's stay safe.\"
The Tour de France wraps up on Sunday with a time trial between Monaco and Nice – a historic finale as it's the first time in 121 years that the race won't end in Paris, owing to the upcoming Summer Olympics kicking off on July 26 in the French capital. 🏅🇫🇷
Ecuador's Richard Carapaz had a stellar day as well, breaking away to secure third place in the stage and clinching the polka dot jersey for the mountains classification. Meanwhile, Biniam Girmay of Eritrea made history by securing the green jersey for the points classification. 🎉🌟
Earlier, Evenepoel tried to make a move eight kilometers from the finish but couldn't sustain the effort. Vingegaard countered, and only Pogacar could keep up, leaving Evenepoel behind.
In the end, Pogacar's strategic brilliance and sheer power carried the day. He stayed patient, waited for his moment, and unleashed a devastating acceleration that left Vingegaard crossing the line with his head down.
As we gear up for the final showdown, all eyes are on Pogacar. Can he seal the deal and take home his third Tour de France trophy? Stay tuned! 🚴♂️🔥
Reference(s):
Merciless Pogacar puts hammer down to top Vingegaard again in Stage 20
cgtn.com
