Pogacar 'enjoying every moment' as 2nd title is in sight

SAINT-EMILION • Slovenian Tadej Pogacar is poised to win a second consecutive Tour de France title after retaining the overall leader's yellow jersey in the 20th stage, a 30.8km individual time trial through the Bordeaux vineyards won by Belgian Wout van Aert yesterday.

Barring a crash in today's final stage in Paris, Pogacar, 22, will finish ahead of Dane Jonas Vingegaard (5min 20sec behind) and Ecuador's Richard Carapaz (7min 3sec), who are set to finish second and third overall, respectively.

Pogacar, the UAE Team Emirates leader, had overturned a deficit on a final-day chrono to win last year's edition. He need only cross the Champs-Elysees finish line with the peloton to retain the fabled yellow jersey as winner of the world's greatest bike race.

"I'm super happy to finish - it went so fast. There was so much support on the course, I was just enjoying every moment though I was suffering as it was super hot," he said. "I cannot describe it. I was going flat out but totally different on Stage 5 where there was much more adrenaline.

"But today I did my best, I was prepared. But not as good in the legs.

"I cannot compare - last year was something else. This year is just different."

Van Aert was thrilled with his stage win and the performances of his Team Jumbo-Visma colleague Vingegaard. He said: "Winning a Tour time trial has been one of the biggest objectives in my career.

"The course was perfect for me, it was more rolling and faster than the first TT... with my weight, it was more to my advantage.

"It's been a real hard Tour for our team, but in the end, we have three stage wins and we have Jonas in second which is an amazing result for only four guys left, so I'm really proud of how we fight."

Ineos Grenadiers' Welsh rider Geraint Thomas, the 2018 champion who saw his Tour hopes torpedoed with his crash on Stage 3, said: "I just thought I would take the opportunity to try and recover, it is the Olympic road race a week today. It was more just going through the process and just enjoying it.

"You can't enjoy the road stages, they have been crazy. Crashes in front of you, people crashing into the back of you so it was nice to ride on my own, enjoy the crowd, lovely weather, it was just a shame we couldn't stop for a cheeky glass of wine.

"It's been the toughest Tour I have done mentally. For that to disappear on Stage 8 and to be with and no disrespect to the grupetto, it was not where I wanted to be and have trained all year for and sacrificed everything for."

On being up for challenging Pogacar's dominance, he said: "Hopefully. I need a contract first. I am well up for the challenge and the fight with the boys. We are certainly up against it. He is a talented guy but nobody is unbeatable."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE