He crosses the finish line showing four fingers on his right hand after winning the closing sprint of the Volta a Catalunya. A poker of victories for an insatiable devourer. Tadej Pogacar, the superb climber and author of epic escapades, also overwhelms sprinters. In the Catalan round he has once again humiliated his enemies, with four stage wins, the general classification and the Mountain and Points prizes. A beast with the face of an angel that only leaves crumbs.
The Slovenian is already overwhelming with a splendid start to the season and an enviable record. He has won the Volta and the Strade Bianche. In Miln-San Remo he was third. At 25 years old he already has 69 victories. With his displays he dazzles the public and frustrates his opponents, who have already learned to fight for secondary loot. Pogacar is on another level, when he jumps it is absurd to try to go with him, said the Colombian Egan Bernal last Saturday, when the Slovenian escaped with 30 kilometers left to win at the top of the Queralt pass.
The Ineos climber, who this week has shown the best version of recent years, had to settle for fighting with Mikel Landa for access to the podium. Being Pogacar’s escort is already a privilege. Just Jonas Vingegaard is capable of challenging him at the summits of the Tour de France. Van der Poel and Wout Van Aert They also dare to challenge him in the Monuments.
Landa, who now serves as lieutenant of Remco Evenepoel and who has been splendid in the Volta, surrenders to the superiority of Pogacar. He is very strong and it is very difficult to stand up to him. We all wait for him to show weakness at some point, the Alavs explained.
Pogacar’s rivals learn to compete on a lower level. It’s a shame that Pogacar is there, because then victory is more difficult, confessed Landa after finishing second in the Volta stage with the finish line in Port Ain, in which he tested the Slovenian with a break with 7.4 kilometers remaining. for the end. I knew that Pogacar, with my attack, was going to heat up. I had hoped to go with it and endure until the end, but from the beginning I saw that I couldn’t. I am happy with second place. My goal was to gain a little more advantage over the third, he said after reaching the finish line 48 seconds after the double winner of the Tour de France.
Pogacar’s trick never fails, he stressed. Marc Soler gregarious of the Slovenian and who this Sunday unsuccessfully sought stage victory.
Joxean Fernndez Matxin, manager of the UAE, was proud of his pupil: I feel that we are living in a special time for cycling and we want to be part of it. We are normal people enjoying ourselves like children while working hard.
Geraint Thomas winner of the 2018 Tour, does not hide his admiration for Handsome :In the years to come he will leave an enormous legacy, as one of the best cyclists in history.
Not only is he the strongest, he is also the most intelligent, says the Dane. Mattias Skjelmose.
Pogacar welcomes the praise and affirms that he is going through a splendid cycle. I have never been fitter or felt so comfortable on the bike. I have taken one more step to enjoy and go every day with a smile. I feel good in training. “I am very happy and this, sometimes, is more important than numbers,” he said at the end of this Sunday’s stage in Barcelona, in which he easily surpassed the French. Dorian Godon and Guillaume Martin.
This week has meant a lot to me. Last season I had a tough half year and starting this season with these victories is fantastic. This victory gives me a lot of confidence. I am in very good shape and on track to face the Giro and the Tour, he added.