LA PLAGNE, France ¨C Such is Tadej Pogacar¡¯s domination on the Tour de France that what began as a frantic chase for stage wins has morphed into a racing masterclass ¡ª a reigning champion pulling the strings on his way to a fourth title.
Since the Slovenian declared he would not grant any freebies after he won four of the opening 13 stages, he has not crossed the line first and Friday¡¯s final mountain trek showed that he might have changed his mind along the way.
The UAE Emirates-XRG rider was just content with setting the pace in the final climb of Friday¡¯s 19th stage, a short yet brutal Alpine trek to La Plagne, letting Thymen Arensman celebrate a second victory this year after the Dutchman battled solo on the steep slopes through episodes of heavy rain in sub-10 degrees Celsius temperatures.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.