cycling race in the Dauphiné: crashes, deceptions, and cutting-edge innovation
The heat's on as the Dauphiné winds down for its final weekend. This Saturday promises a real nail-biting moment with a 131.6K stage that's no walk in the park. The loop includes the Col de la Madeleine, the Col de la Croix de Fer, and the grueling final climb to Valmeinier, totalling a massive 4900 meters of climbs. That's no joke! This trio of grand ascents also serves as a telling indicator of the Tour de France front-runners' condition.
Things have beeninteresting with Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia), Jonas Vingegaard (Denmark), and Remco Evenepoel (Belgium). Pogačar's been saving his bullets, while his pals, both returning from their racing holidays, are confirming they're on the money.
Evenepoel aced the time trial in the rainbow jersey of the world champion, taking the yellow jersey, that symbolizes the overall leader. "I can't believe how many seconds I managed to pull on the others," he said, blowing his own mind with the distances to Vingegaard (20 secs) and Pogačar (48 secs) on the mere 17K course.
Vingegaard was super stoked with his performance in the time trial, feeling so confident that he took a shot at Pogačar. "I ran out of gears. In the fast sections, I could've used a higher gear," he chuckled, hinting he could've performed even better if he'd mounted a larger chainring.
The atural-born warrior seems hell-bent on proving himself. He's not shy about flaunting his strength and self-assurance, earning him the nickname of the "new Vingegaard." Top Dutch portal "Wielerflits" pointed out that he's already attacked on points that didn't warrant such a response, something that had been a Pogačar specialty in the past. While Pogačar snatched the stage win and demonstrated his explosive power, Vingegaard's attack splintered the peloton. "Vingegaard did that brilliantly. He's stepped into Pogačar's territory," praised former world champion Mads Pedersen.
Vingegaard's team, Visma-Lease a Bike, is leading the way in innovation too, having approved a new breathing measurement device, the VitalPro Strap, just in time for the Tour. Its developer, Arnar Larusson, claims it'll "revolutionize the sport like the introduction of the heart rate monitor in the 1970s." Athletes will now be able to see in real-time how their body responds to stress and control it better. "We'll definitely use the device at the Tour," said Visma's tech specialist, Mathieu Heijboer.
Evenepoel didn't want to be left out in the technology race either. The Belgian had a hi-tech visor attached to his time trial helmet that's not only pricier than most competitors' full time trial helmets but also promises superior visibility.
Meanwhile, the third fiddle in the alliance, Pogacar, plays it cool. He rode his time trial so conservatively that whispers of bluffing started swirling. "He simply rode a steady race because he's still in the process of fine-tuning his form," speculated former US pro Tom Danielson. Pogacar didn't deny it. "I can't forget that I'm coming out of a big training block and trying to perfect my form," he admitted.
Pogacar's currently in the athletic preparation phase for the Tour, while Vingegaard and Evenepoel are battling it out mentally. Maybe they're jumping the gun a bit. Evenepoel faced a minor setback too, crashing on Thursday and losing a scheduled Tour helper.
Sign up for our daily newsletter, nd.Kompakt, to stay updated on the latest cycling news!
- Despite the intense competition, Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard, and Remco Evenepoel's focus shifts from the winding down Dauphiné to the upcoming sports event, football, as they prepare for their next battle.
- Amidst the buzz surrounding their cycling performances, it's interesting to see how their tactics on the football field unfold, especially with their growing self-assurance and demonstrative play, reminiscent of the classic football style.
