KIGALI (Rwanda) – On Thursday, he said he liked Mount Kigali, but it was too far from the finish line to imagine an attack. From the summit, there were 104 kilometers to go, too long even for him. The climb was packed with fans dressed in every color and the group was still quite large, when Tadej Pogacar attacked instead.
A bullfight scene: the most famous and anticipated bullfighter tackled the bull well before the work of exhausting him had begun. Ayuso, Evenepoel and Del ToroIt seemed like the first act of a story for four, but it soon became the prologue to yet another undertaking. Remco sank almost immediatelyAyuso, who probably thought he had the opportunity to avenge some wrong, asked too much of himself and gave up. Only Del Toro had the legs to persist, lending itself to the slow and inexorable emptyingBecause Pogacar never gives the impression of pushing, but his pace takes the air from your lungs and the oxygen from your muscles.
"Actually," Pogacar smiles, "we had planned to move right from there, to start doing some damage. Going alone would have been risky, but when I saw that there were three of us, I thought that would be the decisive moveSomething good could have been done, and it worked. I think at some point Isaac (Del Toro, ed.) had stomach problemsI didn't want him to drop out because it would have been better to run longer with another rider, especially if it was him. For this reason I tried to encourage him and make him stay longer with meI was left alone with sixty kilometers to go, a pretty fair amount, which I managed on my own."
The goal of keeping the shirt
He ran and won in his own way, contemptuous of the risk of stalling and running out of energy. He set himself at his best pace and he didn't even get up from the saddle to relaunch when exiting the cornersAlways consistent, always composed. As one does in time trials, even though he took a heavy beating from Evenepoel himself in last Sunday's time trial.
«Since I arrived here – says Pogacar – We have prepared ourselves to give our best on this very dayTo get to the race and take it in hand. After the Tour, I couldn't completely abandon the bike, because if you take two weeks off and go on vacation, you lose a lot of fitness. So you can't. Maybe you do less for a week, but then you have to train again. My big goal of the season was to defend the jersey, but I enjoyed this journey anyway.Everything is different here, but in a good way. I had some really good training sessions with Urska and my national teammates. It was just beautifulWe had a lot of support: I had a fantastic day, a fantastic week, and a fantastic experience. But it was also a very hard day due to the altitude, the heat and the scorching sunI'm super happy and proud that I managed to do it."
Nothing comes by chance
Upon arrival he found all his companions who had withdrawn in the meantime, with the exception of Roglic who finished eleventhThe crowd at the barriers erupted in a roar that Tadej was the first to make even louder, waving his arms. He thus repeated the title he won last year in Zurich, but on a stage that is much more lively and at the same time more delicate than the almost wintry and staid one of Switzerland.
«I couldn't choose – Pogacar nods – They were two special victories, each in its own way.Last year I became world champion for the first time, though defending the title is always one of the hardest things to doSo this victory is really special too. Plus, we're here in Rwanda. It was a long journey and required a lot of preparation and attention to every detail. For example, we had with us the chef Jorge Marin Laria, one of the team members UAE EmiratesSo I was able to eat what I normally eat in competition. You have to do it that way, this sport demands it. It might be boring, but you have to do what you're used to, including preparing your own food. Especially in this type of race, because it is so long and you burn so many calories.You need to eat a lot of food, especially what you normally eat on race days and before the race."
The rematch with Remco
In the challenge there was also the challenge with Evenepoel, because On Thursday he had also said that one way or another today he would have taken revenge. It cannot be said that it did not cost him or that he was not forced to scrape the bottom of the barrel. In some shots, he gritted his teeth like someone who really couldn't take it anymore.But even in this diving into depth, Pogacar has shown that he has superior reserves. Even more than Evenepoel who, despite the two bike changes, threatened to get closer.
«I knew that Remco had some problems – says Pogacar – First I knew he was in the group. Then he was gone. Then suddenly he was in front of the group.But I didn't know exactly, because we didn't have radios like in other races. So I just focused on the gap and how many riders were behind and how many were left in the race. I heard he changed bikes twice, so his ride was impressive too.».
Thirty on arrival
Rwanda's welcome for these thin-legged heroes was also impressive. The only African rider to reach the finish line was Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier, an Eritrean rider from Lidl-Trek. He crossed the finish line in thirtieth and last place, 12:04 behind Pogacar. The rest of the group, that is the other 134 riders, stopped well beforeExhausted by the pace, the dust, and the heat, only three Italians crossed the finish line: Ciccone, who finished sixth, Bagioli, and the tenacious Garofoli.
Rarely on a climb have we seen the spectacle of Mount Kigali and Rarely in previous World Cups have so many children been seenIn Europe, cycling is a sport followed by a predominantly adult audience. Here too, cycling is a sport, but above all it was a celebration. The curiosity remains to understand what this great event, paid for at no small cost, will leave for Kigali and its people. They left us so much joy and so much beauty, we hope we have done something too.
