Transition day spent without concern for Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)! The wearer of the yellow jersey of Tour de France avoided the traps and falls this Wednesday on the occasion of a 17th step promised to sprinters but which was marked by intense rain in Valence. The final therefore took place on soggy roads, and inevitably, the tension was at its height in the last kilometers, with a large fall under the red flame. The world champion was able to pass through without incident and can therefore project himself with envy on the two big alpine stages to come, with to start the famous Col de la Loze where he has a revenge to take compared to his failure in 2023 (even if it will not be the same side) …
“Some should calm down and better be silent”
“The day was relatively calm, but not easy, because it was fast and there was bad weather at the end. I'm glad that the stage is finished and that we all arrived without incident“, First summed up the Slovenian, before approaching the rest.”The bad weather is there and the next few days should not be much better. Normally it suits me well, even if in the end I prefer the sun. The goal is to keep the yellow jersey, nothing else. For tomorrow, we can expect Visma to try to enter the breakaway and sets up each pass to the block. Later, at the Col de la Loze, they will do everything to let go. I will be ready to face everything that will arise. I know the Loze, it is a magnificent climb, and among the hardest I have ever done. Maybe this slope is a little less hellish than the one we climbed in 2023 …“, hoped Tadej Pogacar.
During another post-race interview, the yellow jersey also had the opportunity to return to the controversy that swells in recent days around him and his team UAE Team Emirates-XRGaccused of being arrogance towards the rest of the teams and runners of the peloton. Accusations that follow some of his declarations, but also to the behavior of his teammates to control the race, like Nils Politt Tuesday towards the Ventoux. “”I think some should calm down and better be silent, in my opinion “, Sorvène replied dryly, visibly not happy at all of the sounds that runs on this subject.
“It may seem super arrogant to say that, but good … Arrogance is one thing, trying to win the Tour de France is another. We are not trying to be arrogant, we just try to make the race as easy as possible to win. Many runners can see us as arrogant, as yesterday, when we tried to calm things when we wanted it, because we are the team that must control every kilometer of this race“he concluded. A statement that should not once again go unnoticed …
