Tour de France analysis: The Pogacar era

(Image credit: Getty Images)

There was a moment on stage 18 of the Tour de France, after the leaders had crested the Montèe du plateau de Glières, when the man in yellow, Primož Roglič, put his hand on the back of his young challenger, and fellow Slovenian, Tadej Pogačar, and said something. When asked at the end of the stage, Roglič claimed not to remember what he’d said, but it’s not too much of a stretch to imagine it was something the subtext of which might have been: "Good try, you’ve got years ahead of you, better luck next time."

Roglič’s lead looked unassailable after the last difficult road stage; he looked the stronger than a fading Pogačar on the ludicrously mountainous stages 17 and 18, certainly. He had a lead of 57 seconds, and there was no way he was going to blow that on a time trial that was supposed to suit him, was there? 

Thank you for reading 5 articles in the past 30 days*

Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read any 5 articles for free in each 30-day period, this automatically resets

After your trial you will be billed £4.99 $7.99 €5.99 per month, cancel anytime. Or sign up for one year for just £49 $79 €59

Join now for unlimited access

Try your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Adam Becket is the staff writer for Procycling magazine. Prior to covering the sport of cycling, he wrote about ecclesiastical matters for the Church Times and politics for Business Insider. He has degrees in history and journalism. A keen cyclist himself, Adam’s favourite race is the Tour of Flanders or Strade Bianche, and he can't wait to go to the Piazza del Campo for the end of the race one day.