Tadej Pogačar successfully defended his yellow jersey at the Tour de France, maintaining his overall lead despite a fierce attack by arch-rival Jonas Vingegaard on stage 16’s iconic Mont Ventoux climb. The Slovenian rider shattered the previous record time for the ascent, finishing two seconds ahead of Vingegaard, and showed resilience in the face of repeated attacks from his rival.
Pogačar, riding for UAE Team Emirates-XRG, outsmarted Vingegaard on the grueling 18.8km climb, which proved too much for many riders to handle. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider’s strong performance has secured another crucial step towards securing his fourth overall victory in Paris.
In a post-race interview, Pogačar downplayed the significance of his win, saying he was “not Superman” and only human. However, his achievement is undeniable, with the record-breaking ascent cementing his status as one of the world’s top cyclists.
The Tour de France continues to unfold, with Pogačar remaining in the lead despite a strong showing by Vingegaard and Visma-Lease a Bike’s impressive teamwork display on the Ventoux climb. The Slovenian rider now has his sights set on securing the overall victory, but the battle for the top spot is far from over.
With the Tour de France entering its final mountain stages, Pogačar will need to continue to demonstrate his endurance and tactical prowess if he is to secure a record-breaking fourth title.
Source: https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/im-definitely-not-superman-tadej-pogacar-insists-business-as-usual-after-maintaining-tour-de-france-lead-with-record-breaking-mont-ventoux-ascent