2023-07-16 22:32:02
Yet in the front row, sometimes especially in the henhouse as the two extraterrestrials are far ahead, the Tour de France peloton is like you: it is completely unaware of the name of the winner of the Tour 2023. Still at the same level this Sunday on the road to Saint- Gervais-Mont-Blanc, the two men remain separated by 10 small seconds in the general classification before a boiling last week, which will begin on Tuesday with a necessarily decisive time trial.
Peter Sagan, the triple world champion, coldly summarizes a fairly general feeling from the caravan: “I don’t care! “. Lilian Calmejane (Intermarché Circus Wanty) argues: “I don’t have time to see what they’re doing, slip in bib number 112. I never see them. Saturday, the day was not good. We lost our leader, there were four fallen guys. In the bus, we have no network. I don’t enjoy watching. I prefer to call my family. »
The smallest gap for fourteen years
Third in the stage at Saint-Gervais, Mathieu Burgaudeau (Total Direct Energies) insists: “Frankly, that doesn’t concern me. » None of the runners questioned has, for the moment, the feeling of participating in an edition which could go down in history if the gap in Paris is less than 8 seconds, in any direction. If so, the record for the smallest difference between LeMond and Fignon in 1989 will be broken.
Because yes, in a week, one of the Alpha males of the race will put on the final jersey on the Champs-Élysées. Yes, but who? Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogacar? The two are separated by 10 seconds, the smallest gap after two weeks of racing in fourteen years. Faced with such a tight fight and even if they may be specialists, the people of the Tour do not know more than the rest of the world about the name of the winner. “We had a Prime Minister in Belgium who said: I am like the plumber who looks for the solution when something is broken. But when the question is difficult, I just say No comment ”, slips Patrick Lefevere, the boss of Soudal – Quick-Step.
Alaphilippe votes for Pogacar
We are advanced. Those who venture a prognosis nevertheless vote rather for the Slovenian. This is the opinion of Julian Alaphilippe. “Me, I say Pogacar. You have to say one, so I say one. I think Vingegaard was very very strong in the Dauphiné but I have the impression that Pogacar is not giving up and has qualities that will be to his advantage. “ Same feeling for the Luxembourger of Groupama-FDJ, Kevin Geniets: “I have no favorites, he admits. The difference is so minimal. They attack each other for a matter of seconds. That said, Pogacar makes me vibrate more. He multiplies the attacks, he really goes to fight, it’s something that I like. »
Mark Renshaw drives the point home: “My favorite is Pogacar, assumes the sprint manager at Astana. I love her so much. I ran with them both. But as a fan, I love how Pogi runs. He’s not afraid to attack from a distance, not afraid to take a breakaway at any time. “Small Pogacar advantage, therefore, even if some put a ballot in the ballot box for the Dane, like Jens Haugland, the manager of the Norwegian team Unos-X: “Jonas comes from Denmark, so a little more Jonas. He runs very methodically but I also like Pogacar’s instinct for freedom. Jonas is not discreet, he is just calm. »
“The attrition race will last until the end”
It remains to raise the other burning question: where will this Tour de France be played between now and Sunday? “We understood that there will be three meetings: the stopwatch on Tuesday, the Loze on Wednesday and the Markstein on Saturday, thinks Cédric Vasseur, the manager of Cofidis. I don’t see any above the other and even their teams are of equal value. A stone’s throw away, its leader Guillaume Martin has the same feeling. “Did they show up together again today?” asks the Norman. Then, the race of attrition will last until the end. I don’t see one letting go more than the other. »
On this point, everyone is more or less on the same wavelength: “It’s 50-50, loose former runner Sandy Casar. I find Vingegaard fresher. He has less of the giclette but I find him dashing while being on the defensive because he knows that there is still a long way to go before Paris. It’s going to be cool. Above all, I want the show to continue as much as possible, and perhaps even until the Markstein on Saturday. ” U.S. too.
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