Pogacar and Vingegaard offer tour spectacle in Italy

As if unleashed, Tadej Pogacar stormed up the steep ramp to the pilgrimage church of San Luca, but his great rival Jonas Vingegaard was not to be shaken off. The first breathtaking exchange of blows between the two cycling stars remained without a winner on Italian terrain, but gives hope for a great battle in the 111th Tour de France.

June 30, 2024

From: dpa/apa

Nevertheless, the yellow jersey is still worn by Pogacar, who replaced the French winner of the opening race, Romain Bardet, at the top of the overall standings on the next sweaty stage in temperatures of over 30 degrees after 199,2 kilometers in Bologna.

The day's victory went to Frenchman Kevin Vauquelin, who showed the greatest stamina from a larger breakaway group and gave the Grande Nation its second stage win on the second day.

But Pogacar and Vingegaard are in a league of their own, as was shown at the first climbing show. Both stars have thus brushed aside any doubts about their fitness. Pogacar's corona disease two weeks ago apparently had no effect and Vingegaard, who has not raced since his serious fall in the Basque Country at the beginning of April, seems to have got back into shape in time.

Pogacar in attack mode

It was the first small spectacle of the 111th Tour. On the 1,9-kilometer-long climb with an average gradient of 10,6 percent, which had to be crossed twice, Pogacar went into attack mode. Primoz Roglic from the German Red Bull team, like fellow favorite Remco Evenepoel, could no longer keep up, although the Slovenian actually had good memories of the climb to the Madonna's sanctuary with its impressive 666 colonnades. In 2019, Roglic had won the opening time trial of the Giro here.

Evenepoel was able to catch up on the descent, putting him in second place overall. Vingegaard followed in third place. However, all three stars had the same time. Roglic was 21 seconds behind.

Kevin Vauquelin won the second stage of the Tour. © ANSA / GUILLAUME HORCAJUELO

Already on Saturday, Pogacar, who could be the first professional cyclist since Marco Pantani in 1998 to complete the Giro d'Italia and Tour double, had "tested his legs a bit" on the ups and downs to Rimini, but missed the first bonus seconds in fourth place. The stage was not difficult enough to cause chaos, was Pogacar's verdict. The suffering veteran Mark Cavendish could hardly agree.

The former world champion was 39 minutes behind and had just managed to stay within the grace period after he had vomited in the meantime. On Sunday he again crossed the finish line with a significant gap.

Cavendish saw stars

The drivers were once again struggling with the heat. As on the previous day, the thermometer showed temperatures well over 30 degrees in some places.

On Monday, the first sprint stage will take place over 230,8 kilometers from Piacenza to Turin. It seems rather doubtful whether former world champion Cavendish will be able to play a role. The man from the Isle of Man, who could become the sole record stage winner with another success, suffered greatly in the Italian heat. He saw stars, admitted Cavendish, who leads the rankings with 34 stage victories together with Eddy Merckx.