"Exhausted Tadej Pogačar nearly secures Tour de France triumph through defensive performance"
Tadej Pogacar's Mental Fatigue Affects Performance in Tour de France
In the ongoing 2023 Tour de France, Tadej Pogacar has shown a strong performance, but his second-place finish behind Jonas Vingegaard in the overall standings indicates a tough competition. The fastest stage of the race, Stage 19, saw a different winner as Matej Mohorič clinched the victory in a breakaway sprint.
Pogacar, who started the third week trailing Primoz Roglič by 40 seconds, lost additional time on Stage 17's difficult climb. In Stage 19, Pogacar was in a group with Vingegaard, Florian Lipowitz, and Oscar Onley for most of the final effort. However, signs of mental fatigue became apparent as Pogacar seemed to give up on chasing the victory once Vingegaard marked him closely on the final climb.
Pogacar stated that he was tired and that the Tour had been difficult with attacks from various riders throughout. He was watching the final kilometers of stage 19 in La Plagne, counting down the final kilometers, hoping to deter attacks from behind. However, it seemed that his energy was depleted after 19 stages of hard racing.
Pogacar's team manager, Mauro Gianetti, also acknowledged the exhaustion, stating that everyone is tired. Gianetti suggested that both Pogacar and Vingegaard were hoping for the other to attack early to catch Thymen Arensman, who had attacked early on the climb to La Plagne and was around 20 seconds ahead of Pogacar. However, neither Pogacar nor Vingegaard launched any significant attacks, and Arensman won on merit.
Despite the setback in Stage 19, Pogacar's fourth yellow jersey remains secure, and he has won almost everything he has wanted to this year. He has amassed a total of 21 stages in the Tour de France, including four stages in this year's race.
Looking ahead to the remaining stages, Pogacar's motivation seemed diminished, and his mental state may have limited his ability to challenge for stage wins or the overall lead. With no big climbing days left in the Tour de France, Saturday's stage 20 is not an easy day, with four classified climbs and 2,916 meters of climbing in 184.2km. The stage looks ripe for a breakaway, and it remains to be seen if Pogacar can regain his form and challenge for the stage win or the overall lead.
References:
- Tadej Pogacar wins Tour de France stage 20 to secure overall victory
- Tadej Pogačar's mental fatigue affects performance in Tour de France
- Tadej Pogačar's Tour de France 2023: All you need to know
Pogacar's mental fatigue might affect his performance in upcoming sports events, given his obvious signs of exhaustion during the Tour de France. The remaining stages of the Tour de France, with their challenging climbs, could present a difficult test for Pogacar's recovery and potential for stage wins or the overall lead.
