“It simply came to our notice then. You will definitely not become the overall winner of the Tour here. But you can definitely lose the whole race here, “Pogačar shrugged for the Belgian website Sporza after Monday’s survey of the 1,600-meter-long cobbled section from Eswars to Paillencourt, which will be on the route of another classic Paris-Roubaix in less than two weeks.
Pogachar’s head of the UAE Emirates team, Aart Vierhouten, who accompanied the Slovenian comet during the survey, was significantly less diplomatic. “It’s crazy. As an organizer, I would never include such a section in the race, “said the former Dutch professional racer.
The Peloton Tour doesn’t even dice down at a frantic pace.Photo: Profimedia.cz
What’s wrong with the Paillencourt dice, after which the Old Lady’s peloton overtook the 9th stage in 2018? “It’s going downhill. And go dice at a frantic pace Tour at 60-65 km / h … Madness. In addition, there are no escape zones on the right or left. From the point of view of security, which has been so popular in recent years, it is totally on the edge. I don’t understand that they included that section in the Tour route. It does not belong to any race, “explained Vierhouten.
The fifth stage of this year’s Tour from Lille to Arenberg Porte du Hainaut measures 155 km and the riders will thoroughly test the damping capabilities of the padding in their trousers on a total of eleven paved sectors. The incriminated second section is in the itinerary about 100 km before the finish. “In the last section, the peloton may be grouped, but in the first section, the whole package will run together. Fortunately, there was a drought in 2018. But if there is a shower, it can be a life of downhill dice, “warns the sports director of the stable from the Emirates.
Adding off-asphalt sections to Grand Tour races has divided the cycling community for some time. Some riders and team managers are of the opinion that large stage races are often run by riders who do not have the appropriate experience or somatotype for dice and gravel. And, of course, there are lovers of classic one-day battles, to which unpaved surfaces have always belonged. According to them, an elite racer should have the ability to cope with any track.
But in the case of Pogachar, it is true that the Slovenian star has minimal experience with dice. The 23-year-old cyclist rode them for the first time as a professional last Wednesday in the Across Flanders race and then on Sunday at one of the monuments. “It’s important to load the track properly, to get the right feeling on the dice. This will calm you internally and you can go to the first week of the Tour more relaxed. I had the right equipment and spent two and a half hours here. I’m looking forward to this stage, “assured the second youngest Tour winner in history.
Tiled sections like the icing on the cake? For some racers, they are hell, others love them.Photo: Profimedia.cz
Paris-Roubaix? Maybe in a year
Pogačar reached the third triumph on one of the five monuments in Flanders on Sunday, but after escaping with Mathieum van der Poel, he failed to tactically finish the finish and ended up fourth. However, he was already able to absorb the initial disappointment and from the defeat he mainly took the positives. “Flanders has motivated me. I really enjoyed it, Sunday was one of the best days I spent on the bike. It strengthened my confidence before the Tour and the following years of my career, “Slovinec explained.
However, he is not going to retaliate on Roubaix in two weeks after the failure in Flanders. “Definitely, but not soon. Maybe next year, maybe later, “he said with a smile asking questions after Monday’s survey.” I’ve never been there and now I can’t tell when I’ll go there. to Milan-San Remo, “added Pogačar, who last year mastered the spring classics of Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the autumn Around Lombardy.
