The first act of a challenge which, in all likelihood, will be the leitmotif of the 111th Tour de France: Tadej’s attack Pogacar on the last ramps of San Luca it didn’t take Jonas by surprise Vineyardwho immediately followed the wheel of the dominator of the last Giro d’Italia. Although they reaffirmed their superiority over the competition, the Slovenian and the Dane played the finale with their cards close to their chest, allowing Remco Evenepoel and JRichard Carapaz to come back. The opinions of the protagonists immediately after the stage finish in Bologna.
Pogacar: «Jonas’ reaction didn’t surprise me»
Immediately after wearing the yellow jersey, the 26-year-old UAE Emirates has granted the usual worldwide interview: «We knew very well that the vittoria of the stage was now out of reach. The Visma he imposed a very high pace already on the first Saint Luke. The second time too the pace was fast, but I wanted to try anyway, also to test myself. Vingegaard followed me immediately, but I certainly can’t tell surprised. For the rest, we pedaled together until the finish, where we were then joined by Evenepoel and Carapaz. The Bologna public? It thrilled me. And what I saw on the way up was wonderful. This is the cycling we should all love. The yellow shirt? Day after day I will evaluate whether to keep it or not».
Vingegaard’s reply: «I didn’t expect to be at this level»
The captain of Visma-Lease a Bike instead chose i microphones of Danish public television to comment on his performance on the streets of Bologna: «It was important for me to understand where I was at and, at the same time, keep up with Pogacar. This was one of the days when I was afraid of leaving something on the ground. I can definitely count myself satisfied for how it went today. I’m very surprised for the strength I expressed on the bike. To be honest, I didn’t expect to be at this level. I’m very happy with what I did in the first two days of racing».
Evenepoel: «At the beginning of the climb I wasn’t in a good position, but I managed to fix it»
Reached just before the finish line on the two favourites for the yellow jersey in Nice, Remco Evenepoel – jumped to the top of the rankings young – he explained that he was unable to follow the first two due to a mere question of legs: «I missed it a bit forza just when it was needed. Usually, though, I need a few days to to carburate. In any case, I can say that this was a positive day for me. Of course: it would have been better to follow the first two, but the gap that was created shortly after the Curva delle Orphanelle he forced me to overrev to get back to the front. At the beginning of the climb I wasn’t in the best position, but in the end it went well anyway. A message for my opponents? I will not give up and I will try to join the fight too».
The other protagonists of the day: Vauquelin, Cristian Rodriguez, Ciccone
The Pogacar-Vingegaard duel perhaps left the emerging Kevin’s coup in the background Vauquelinwhich he gave to the Arkea-B&B Hotels the first stage success in a Grand Tour. The Frenchman’s comment just before the awards ceremony:
«I had a difficult time because I couldn’t find the right feeling. When the breakaway started, I was good at seizing the opportunity. The group gave us a lot of space, but we performed very well in the leading group. I have to thank my teammate Cristian Rodriguezbecause he ran great and supported me in the crucial moments of this perfect day. I knew I was stronger on the climbs, but I still immediately found a good agreement with Abrahamsen e Oliveira. Then, after having done the first stretch of the San Luca together, I had an advantage: I didn’t want to leave anything untried, if only because I was in the company of two very dangerous riders. It was already a dream for me to participate in the Tour. Having won a stage makes me proud». His squire, Cristian Rodriguez, echoes him: «This is our first victory in a Grand Tour. Me and Kevin we entered into this action together, but from the start we had not established which of the two would be at the other’s service. After the first climb, in which I kept a regular pace, I placed myself at Vauquelin’s complete disposal».
We close our review of post-stage voices with Giulio’s statements Ciccone to Rai Sport: «AND It was another particularly busy day demanding after yesterday’s. I want to be realistic: it was impossible to think of following the two monsters, even more so because the uphill pace was really fast. In any case, I tried to manage the ending with the strength I have. And this will be my attitude in the next stages too. The difficulties of Roglic? The first two days were really special: the heat can distort things quite a bit performance. In any case, I wouldn’t speak of negative signals.».
