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Dialuna 25 Juli 2022

Jonas Vingegaard, king of the mountains, wins Tour de France

day's individual time trial to controlling the race in the
effectively secure the title. mountains, an essential ele-
"The battle between me and ment that was a trademark
Jonas for the yellow jersey of the mighty Ineos teams
has been very special," Po- in the past decade. But on
gacar said. "I think we have many occasions, both Poga-
some very interesting next car and Vingegaard were left
two or three years ahead of just counting on themselves
us. Jonas has stepped up his in high altitude, fighting each
game this year." other on equal terms.
Pogacar also brought a sense
The light-framed Vingegaard of old-fashioned romanti-
is not perhaps as naturally cism with his long-range at-
gifted as Pogacar, who has tacks. At 23, the UAE-Emir-
shown over the past couple ates Team has a bright future.
of years that he is capable of
winning Grand Tours and Vingegaard became the first
the most prestigious one-day Dane to win the Tour since
classics as well. Bjarne Riis achieved the feat
But Vingegaard surely learns in 1996 during a time when
fast. doping was widespread in cy-
cling.
Vingegaard did not experi- Following his retirement
ence his first ascent before he from cycling, Riis admitted
was already 16. His climbing in 2007 to using the blood-
skills would not remain un- booster EPO from 1993-98,
noticed for long, though. including during his Tour
victory.
(AP) – King of the moun- and three-time Spanish Vuel- cisive blow in the Pyrenees, After he posted a record time
tains. Champion on the ta winner Primoz Roglic. But posting a second stage win on the Coll de Rates climb Asked whether his team
Champs-Elysees. Roglic's challenge took a blow at the Hautacam ski resort. during a training camp in should be trusted, Vingegaard
Jonas Vingegaard blos- when he suffered a dislocated There the Dane responded Spain with his former team said he and his teammates
somed from a talented shoulder and lost more than to a series of attacks from Po- ColoQuick, he joined Jum- "are totally clean, every one
rookie to a dominant two minutes to Pogacar on gacar and ultimately dropped bo-Visma in 2019 and rapidly of us."
leader in his own right the cobbled fifth stage of the the Slovenian in the last big improved. In his first Tour "No one of us is taking any-
over three weeks of epic race, leaving Vingegaard in a mountain stage of this year's last year, he showed proper thing illegal," he added. "I
racing to win his first Tour sole leader's role. race to increase his overall leadership skills after Roglic think why we're so good is
de France title on Sunday. Vingegaard more than ex- lead to more than three min- crashed out of the race, and the preparation that we do.
ceeded expectations from utes. followed up with a cold- We take altitude camps to the
The former fish factory that moment. blooded ride to victory this next step."
worker from Denmark de- Pogacar cracked about four summer.
throned defending champion He made his intentions clear kilometers (2 1/2 miles) from The growing rivalry between Jasper Philipsen won Sun-
Tadej Pogacar with memo- in the first big mountain stage the finish in the final ascent, Pogacar and Vingegaard has day's last stage — a mainly
rable performances in the up the Col du Granon to seize with his hopes of winning a brought new race scenarios processional ride around
mountains in cycling's big- the race leader's yellow jersey third consecutive title all but that have delighted fans. Paris to the Champs-Elysees
gest race. from Pogacar, who fell more over. He fought until the — in a sprint ahead of Dylan
The 25-year-old Vingegaard, than two minutes behind very end but Vingegaard was Both men were equipped Groenewegen and Alexander
who was runner-up to Poga- that day. Having claimed the again the strongest in Satur- with strong teams capable of Kristoff.
car in his first Tour last year, famed tunic during a stage
excelled in the scorching heat featuring three monster Al-
that enveloped France this pine climbs, Vingegaard kept
month and came out on top it until the end.
of a thrilling duel with Po-
gacar, the big favorite at the With the help of teammates
start of the race. including the versatile Wout
Van Aert, Vingegaard re-
Vingegaard competed last sponded to the relentless at-
year as a replacement for Tom tacks launched by Pogacar
Dumoulin in the Jumbo-Vis- day in, day out. His suprem-
ma squad. It was a revelation acy in the mountains was
for Vingegaard as he realized such that, in addition to his
that he could fight for the overall win, Vingegaard also
overall title after dropping claimed the jersey for king
Pogacar in the famed Mont of the mountains — not bad
Ventoux climb, but his Slove- for a rider who comes from a
nian rival was at the top of his country whose highest point
game and largely untouch- is barely 170 meters above sea
able. level.

A year later, Vingegaard stood Vingegaard and Pogacar were
on top of the podium after clearly in a class of their own
building his triumph with this year as their closest rival,
two phenomenal rides in the 2018 Tour champion Geraint
Alps and the Pyrenees. Thomas, was reduced to a
mere spectator in the lead-
Three weeks ago in Copen- ers' fight. Thomas finished in
hagen, the Jumbo-Visma third place.
team started the race with
two leaders — Vingegaard Vingegaard delivered his de-