A lot of the speak forward of Saturday’s opening stage of the Tour de France centred on two-time winner Tadej Pogačar, his UAE Workforce Emirates crew, and whether or not they would search to check – and even deal the primary blow towards – major yellow jersey rival Jonas Vingegaard.
Come the day, there would not be any main GC strikes on stage 1, and positively no signal of Pogačar placing main time into the reigning champion, who was within the peloton for the primary time since his season-threatening Itzulia Basque Nation crash.
UAE did push the tempo over the Apennine hills that stuffed out the center of the 206km stage throughout Italy, nonetheless, blowing the peloton aside and dropping sprinter after sprinter earlier than Visma-Lease A Bike took over to guide what would in the end be an unsuccessful pursuit of the successful breakaway.
Talking after the stage end in Rimini, Pogačar stated that he and his crew “examined the legs somewhat bit”, whereas including that he “wasn’t so fortunate” within the closing as he sprinted house for fourth place behind DSM pair Romain Bardet and Frank van den Broek, in addition to third-placed Wout van Aert.
“First day was tremendous good. We examined the legs somewhat bit on the climbs,” Pogačar stated. “It was a superb tempo and I felt good even with the warmth in order that’s an enormous bonus.
“In the long run, I attempted to do a dash additionally. I noticed a gap; I virtually beat the 2 quickest guys within the race – Mads Pedersen and Wout – however I wasn’t so fortunate within the closing. Additionally, chapeau to the winners immediately, Bardet and Van den Broek, they went a extremely good tempo and deserved the victory, I feel.”
Pogačar stated that was positive that his chase group, led by Lidl-Trek on the flat run to Rimini, would catch the DSM pair earlier than the end. However they’d grasp on, even after passing the flamme rouge with simply 10 seconds in hand, to disclaim Van Aert and Pogačar the prospect to dash for the yellow jersey.
“I used to be pondering at 4km to go that they’d 25 seconds if I am not improper and I believed we had been going to catch them,” Pogačar stated. “That is why I attempted to dash as a result of if I can get a podium I can get bonus seconds. But in addition, I actually like diminished bunch sprints, so it was, all-in-all, an attention-grabbing day.”
Now, the main focus turns to stage 2 and one other hilly day in Italy. Sunday takes the peloton north to Bologna and two ascents of the steep San Luca climb, a centrepiece of the Giro dell’Emilia.
Even with the second of the climbs peaking 13km from the end line, it will host maybe the primary GC showdown of the 2024 Tour.
“Tomorrow is San Luca and I feel it should already be extra open and extra fights on the climb than immediately,” Pogačar predicted. “Additionally, on the climb, I feel we’ll see extra gaps than immediately.”
