Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar has secured his place as the 2024 Tour De France champion. The UAE Team Emirates rider completed the feat with his sixth stage win of the year on the final stage in Nice on Sunday (21/7).
This achievement is his third Tour title after 2020 and 2021. Pogacar outperformed his rival and defending champion, Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark, this year in the Tour de France, by completing a brilliant victory. The difference is quite far, namely six minutes and 17 seconds from Jonas Vingegaard who is trailing in second place in the overall standings.
“I’m very happy. I can’t describe how happy I am after two difficult years in the Tour de France, where we always made some mistakes that cost us the race,” Pogacar said.
“This is the first big tour where I was really confident every day. Even in the Giro I had a bad day but I won’t tell you which one. This year’s Tour De France was incredible.”
It was a race full of top moments. Pogacar equalled Gino Bartali to become only the second man in history to win five mountain stages in a single edition. Victory in the final day’s time trial was the icing on the cake and a perfect ending for a rider who lives and trains in Monaco.
“Today, I felt really good on the first climb. I’ve done the climb many times in training – I didn’t waste any preparation,” he said.
Vingegaard, who has only just recovered from broken ribs and vertebrae suffered in a crash in April, admitted the race was almost over, and on Saturday (20/7) appeared more focused on defending second place over Belgian Remco Evenepoel.
Vingegaard set the pace with Pogacar. With half a mile to go, they beat the last challenger, Richard Carapaz of Ecuador. Over the Alps, the two best riders raced to the finish line. (Eurosports/P-5)
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