"Grace Under Pressure": Pogacar Tumbles but Expresses Gratitude to Rivals
**Tour de France 2023: Pogacar Focuses on Pyrenees as Race Heats Up**
Defending champion Tadej Pogacar is gearing up for the upcoming mountain stages in the Pyrenees, with the second week of the Tour de France potentially decisive, according to the Slovenian cyclist.
Pogacar, who won the Tour de France 2023, is currently in a tight race with Jonas Vingegaard, with the duo aiming to make their mark in the challenging Pyrenean stages. The first of these stages starts in Auch and covers 180.6 kilometers with 3,850 meters of climbing, culminating in the ski resort of Hautacam.
The upcoming Pyrenees trilogy is expected to be pivotal in reshaping the leaderboard. In recent years, mountain stages, including those in the Pyrenees, have been crucial for contenders like Pogacar. These stages often see significant time gaps open up among the general classification (GC) riders due to their grueling climbs and dramatic descents.
Pogacar is particularly looking forward to the climb to Hautacam and the mountain time trial, which could provide him with a strategic advantage in the race for the yellow jersey. However, he will face stiff competition from the likes of Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel, and Mathieu van der Poel.
Van der Poel, who finished third in the stage, missed his third Tour stage win by a narrow margin. Mauro Schmid narrowly missed second place in a photo finish. Meanwhile, Van der Poel started the race with a cold according to his team.
The race was not without its unexpected moments, with a streaker causing chaos in the finish area, wearing an Israel-critical shirt. The incident did not disrupt the race's momentum, and the peloton continued on to the next stage.
Elsewhere, construction sites are causing despair for independent retailers in Hamm, with changes to the Westphalia fare scheduled for August. Florian Lipowitz, who finished fourth in the stage, is 3 minutes and 34 seconds behind Healy in the standings, while Florian Lipowitz shakes hands with Tadej Pogacar after the race.
For the most accurate and detailed information on the 2023 Tour de France Pyrenees stages, it would be best to consult specific race reports or the official Tour de France website. Stay tuned for more updates as the Tour de France 2023 continues to unfold.
- Pogacar, who won the Tour de France 2023, is focusing on the Pyrenees stages, where sports like cycling demand immense effort due to their grueling climbs and dramatic descents, potentially shaping the race's outcome.
- In the Pyrenees, sports such as cycling have often been crucial for contenders like Pogacar, with these stages frequently resulting in significant time gaps among the general classification (GC) riders, due to their challenging terrain.
