Jonas Vingegaard will defend his Tour de France championship after Tadej Pogacar dropped nearly six minutes on Wednesday. Pogacar, a two-time winner, blew up dramatically on the Col de La Loze, ending his hopes of wearing the yellow jersey. Vingegaard called his competitor “the best bike rider in the world” in an interview with Eurosport ahead of Thursday’s Stage 18 to Bourg-en-Bresse.
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) compared his difficulties on Stage 17 of the Tour de France in 2023 to “riding in hell.”
On Wednesday, the Slovenian fell apart on the challenging Col de la Loze, finishing nearly six minutes behind his competitor, Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), as his hopes of securing a third yellow jersey faded.
Who is Tour de France 2023 favorite, Tadej Pogacar?
Tadej Pogacar is a Slovenian professional road racing cyclist who was born in Komenda, a village in Slovenia, on September 21, 1998. He rose to fame as one of the world’s most skilled and promising young riders.
Pogacar is well-known for his outstanding climbing and time-trial ability, which make him a well-rounded competitor in various phases of cycling competitions. He is a professional cyclist for UAE Team Emirates.
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In 2019, he won the Tour of California as well as the prestigious Tour de France’s young classification (white jersey). But it was during the 2020 Tour de France that he truly made history. He made a spectacular effort during the race’s final stage, a time trial up La Planche des Belles Filles, securing the overall title by beating the previous leader, fellow Slovenian Primož Roglič. Pogacar became the youngest Tour de France winner since World War II at the age of 21.
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Tadej Pogacar’s Tour de France triumph in 2020 catapulted him to worldwide recognition, and he became a symbol of the future generation of dominating cyclists. His talent, determination, and spectacular accomplishments have elevated him to a prominent position in the world of professional cycling.
