The Martians are back in Marco Pantani’s stage. Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, irresistible in the last 700 meters of the second climb to Colle di San Luca, the mountain of Bologna. The Slovenian on the right, the Dane on the left, the rivals unable to respond. And then a time trial to the finish line in Bologna: the Frenchman Kevin Vauquelin (Arkea) wins, surviving the breakaway of 11, second consecutive transalpine success after Bardet’s in Rimini, but Pogacar wears the yellow jersey on the second day. Same time as Vingegaard, Evenepoel and Carapaz, but he has the best sum of placings after two stages. Bardet gives up 19” to the pair of phenomena and therefore loses his yellow jersey.
go up
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Like the pink jersey at the Giro, at the top of Oropa, and it was also the second stage there. Pogacar is back in yellow but today’s news is that Vingegaard is there, of course. Without races after the dramatic accident on April 4 in the Basque Country, the Dane who has won the last two Tours does not lose a meter from Pogacar, who levels the last 700 meters of the San Luca at supersonic speed. The duel is back, there is still Vingegaard on Pogacar’s road to the Giro-Tour double in a row. And on Tuesday the climb of Galibier awaits him, another Pantani peak, for another challenge. The challenge.
emotions
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The Spazio Pantani, inside the Cesenatico train station, is an irresistible hub of joy for children and sadness for those who experienced and knew the story of the Pirate. The loud music transmits joy and the cyclists, like many tourists on bikes, stop, explain, look for answers, talk, but then those words on the banner open on the façade of the Museum, justice for Marco, are enough to bring you back to reality. Mother Tonina and father Paolo with the Tour director, Prudhomme, on the podium to receive a late but still very warm recognition. There is serenity in Tonina’s voice and eyes, while Paolo is angry at “all the harm they did to him, they destroyed Marco”.
I arrive
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Here, from here we start for the second stage of the Tour, the tour of Romagna from Cesenatico to Bologna, 199 km with the double ascent to San Luca in the finale that gives intense emotions in front of a crazy crowd. On the second pass, the Frenchman Vauquelin accelerates and goes to take the stage victory but 700 meters from the summit of San Luca, after the Orfanelle, terrifying acceleration by Tadej Pogacar to which Jonas Vinegegard immediately responds. The most anticipated duel on the climb that dominates Bologna. The portico overflows with fans for those 1900 meters at an average 10.8% and peaks of 19% at the Orfanelle curve home of Pantani’s fans. There is a climate of crazy exultation, of ecstasy.
news
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Even today the breakaway goes, there are 11 of them and there is no Italian, the most active is the polka dot jersey of the mountain Abrahamsen, who passes first on the first 4 Gpm, and the group lets it go, with an unorthodox way at the Tour, let’s say. There is also time for a slip by Van Aert and Jorgenson, Vingegaard’s companions, who the group then awaits in a chivalrous way while crossing the Romagna, the plain and the hills, the gullies and the Gallisterna of the Imola 2020 World Championship, as well as the half lap of the F.1 circuit.
finale
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With 60 km to go the group is at 9’20, at – 45 km we are at 5’15” with Cavendish (at 9′) and Jakobsen (11′) still struggling. At the first passage from Bologna, just under 4′. Van Aert sets the pace for Vingegaard, Pogacar jokes with a little acceleration to go and get his water bottle. The gap drops to 3’25” with 25 km to go.
plan
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Tomorrow is the third stage of the Tour, still entirely Italian: Piacenza-Turin, 232 km, the longest of the Tour. Around km 60 you cross the lands of Fausto Coppi, the Campionissimo, and at km 70 there is the Gpm in Tortona. Then destination Langhe, Alba, Barbaresco before the sprint to Turin.
