When Pogacar was the only one to lead and the others were chasing, people talked about a boring Tour. Then Vingegaard arrived, but the enthusiasm only lasted a few weeks. In fact, someone is talking again about Tour boring, because there are only the two of them and the void behind themThe fan is never satisfied, but it is a fact that in the middle of the second week, between the leading tandem and the third in the standings – Jay Hindley, at the opening – there are two and a half minutesPogacar and Vingegaard have been giving it their all so far. Is there a risk that at this rate they might pay the price in the third week, allowing someone else to come back?
If there is anyone who can answer and imagine the possible scenario, that is Giuseppe Martinelli: the sports director with the highest number of Grand Tour victories, which at theAstana He now plays roles that aren't his. The last time he was in the team car, in the Italian championship, he brought it home with Velasco.
Martino, will the Tour remain a two-man affair?
There is really too much difference from the others. One of the two will surely win the battle. I thought Vingegaard had more of a lead over Pogacar, considering Tadej didn't race much and all that. However, after three stages, where they really gave it their all, I see the Slovenian really recovering.The two times he caught him off guard, in my opinion, will calm the yellow jersey down a bit and bring him back into line. But I think it's impossible that in the end they'll let anyone else get close.
Isn't there a risk that by spending so much every day they'll eventually pay the bill?
No, because they're really too strong, they're superior. And the others already have the ranking in mind. Hindley and Rodriguez fight for third place.
Does that mean that if you were at the Tour with a GC rider, after just one week you'd still be thinking about third place or would you try to invent something?
You can try to invent something in a somewhat… stupid stage, the kind you don't expect. Maybe try the penultimate climb, you know? There are two or three days where there is no uphill finish and those would be goodBut the only condition is that the two find themselves without a team.
It's difficult to isolate them to this extent...
Because they are strong and have strong teams, It's difficult to catch them off guard, unless they find themselves alone and there's a psychological battle between them.. They have to do everything, in short. At that point, anything could happen. Otherwise, one or the other will put the team to pull and they always have that couple of riders next to them who can keep a potential attack in their sights.
Pogacar was asked why he races more cautiously and he laughed and replied that he has become older and wiser.
In my opinion he took the measure after last year, when he really sinnedI'm not saying he was naive, but he had the feeling of being stronger and able to spend energy in sprints, for time bonuses, on all the finish lines. This year seems more cautious, even if in the first two stages he could have been a little more relaxedIn Bilbao he could have spent a little less, given what he got. But one thing...
What?
But how great is cycling right now? I'm not saying I'm rooting for this or that guy, nor that I like them, but when I see Van Aert making a play from afar, I say to myself: «Holy cow, guys, what a rider!»Or Van der Poel sprinting past Philipsen. It's great cycling, you enjoy watching things like this. I liked it before, but it wasn't as stimulating as it is now..
Do you think Vingegaard felt the effects of the two stages in which he was dropped?
He took a bad hit, in the head and legs. First time, in my opinion, the stage victory was at stake and so it's reasonable that Pogacar could have had something more. Ma the second For me, it stuck with him. The other guy really wanted to get away from him, and there wasn't even a chance of winning.There was a dance in 13th place, but it was as if he had said to him: «Now I'm going to put you there and take you off!».
The feeling is that Vingegaard arrived convinced that life would be easy…
Yes, I think so. And the team too. They looked at how strong they were at the Dauphiné, without even having to struggle that much, and they arrived convinced that they already had a piece of the Tour in their pocket, with the belief that Pogacar was not super and could not grow. At the first opportunity Vingegaard immediately gave him a blow for this very reason.
How different are those two?
Pogacar rides his bike and has fun, he is different from the classic cyclist, just look at his face. The other is more of a rider, more built, the fruit of work.Pogacar, even if they drop him, starts from scratch the next day and it's as if nothing happened. Vingegaard is the classic rider who races to win; he has a great team built for this. The other one is also strong, but he's going to the national championship and doesn't wait for the finale, knowing he'll certainly win. He goes on the run with 100 kilometers to go and I think he's having a lot of fun and making people have fun.These are not easy things, but they are something that the riders who are here now can do.
It's a shame they're not Italian, one might say...
Unfortunately, I've told you that more than once. Until someone builds something good, things won't change.I was talking about it this morning with my parents, since we also have a continental team. Seeing that the best young people go to Belgium, or to France and Holland, makes me furious.. Okay, we have garofoli, but one is not enough. And when I see Busatto and the best amateurs who leave, I really get furious. I went to the Italian youth championship to go and see a boy, now the situation is this…
