I heard people, upon leaving, say things like this: “Maybe today, on Capo Mele, his vein closes again and…”.
I would call it the Pogacar effect. The Giro spent its money well to sign him. A perfect investment, which like all intelligent investments acts as a formidable multiplier (see Keynes if necessary).
In addition to the palancai implications, this Pogacar effect has overturned the general climate here at the Giro and also out there, beyond the Giro, in the space of a few days, all around the Giro. Just listen and look: apart from the spectacular spectacle in the first three stages, even just this new global dispute (“Pogacar champion to be kept like this and woe to those who want to change him”, “Pogacar to manage, Pogacar who must learn to control himself, Pogacar who if he acts greedy will throw himself away, Pogacar who lacks respect for others”), even this crazy bipartisanship I was saying it’s still dripping fat for the Giro and for cycling in generalbecause in any case it puts them at the center of attention and discussions, exactly the manna we need in this gray period.
Win or lose, Pogacar is the Sinner for cycling. And that’s what matters. Nice or unpleasant, the result remains. As for her crazy bulimia, may Heaven keep it intact: for the show, but also for the incomparable taste of controversy and brawls at the Sports Bar.
However, no attack on Capo Mele, because the boy may be crazy, but he is not a jukebox and much less is he outside of Capo. Rather, the secret and unexpressed appointment with the next show is clearly for Friday41 Umbrian kilometers in a time trial, and I think everything has been said…
Let’s say if anything that in these days of joy Pogacar even receives a sumptuous gift in the form of a social announcement. The other speaks, the antagonist, the rival, the one who is missing here in Italy and who was even feared to be missing for a very long time, Vingegaard speaks: “I got back on the bike for the first time. It’s nice to finally be able to get back on the bike as usual. Getting back on the road is great. I feel good, I’m improving day by day. My recovery is not yet complete, but I feel better. Of course I hope to be at the start of the Tour de France. I don’t know how my recovery will continue, but I will do everything I can to be there.”. After the terrible fall at the Tour of the Basque Country, after fractures and pneumothorax, the optimism of seeing him in France re-emerges.
Why is it a personal gift sent to Pogacar? Because without Vinge not even Pogacar is Pogacaras we have already seen in these first days of the Giro, with the record played on repeat, “easy to win like this, without Vingegaard”. Furthermore, many are also moving forward, “I believe you that he will do the Giro-Tour double, Vingegaard is out of action”.
Better, much better that Vingegaard is there. For his health, obviously, first of all, but also and even for Pogacar himself: we don’t know what to do with victories with ifs and asterisks, as if it were his fault that the other fell. Unbridled, sincere, passionate support for Vinge, for him to come back and return to the Tour. So as to also give back to Pogacar what he deserves, the absolute dignity of the supreme duel, exactly what they throw at him from the first stage of the Giro, as if this phenomenal boy wasn’t doing everything he could to make up for the void, spending himself to the maximum, spending everything. Without there even being the need. He runs at 100 percent when 50 would be enough. He uses two legs when one would be enough. And they even blame him for it. Ungrateful.
