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Tadej Pogacar wowed his rivals on the eighth stage of the Tour de France, from Oyonnax to Grand-Bornand in Haute-Savoie, to assert himself as the big favorite for the final victory in Paris. In what was a throwback to the great exploits of the Tour’s past, the reigning champion attacked and let down his remaining rivals on the penultimate climb of the Col de Romme, more than 30 km from the finish.
While Bahrain’s Dylan Teuns of Victorious survived the onslaught of the 2020 champion and hung on to clinch the stage victory, Pogacar finished fourth to take the race leader’s yellow jersey with a performance that compared the five-time UAE team leader. Tour winners Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault.
On another scorching stage of pouring rain and numerous crashes, in which several of the pre-race favorites, including Primoz Roglic of Jumbo-Visma and 2018 winner, Geraint Thomas of Ineos Grenadiers, were definitely left behind, Pogacar s turned out to be as out of control as he had made it. in last year’s final time trial at La Planche des Belles Filles.
Pogacar took advantage of the day on the steeper sections of the Col de Romme, dropping his most likely threat to final victory, Thomas’ teammate Richard Carapaz, and going in pursuit of lone striker Michael Woods, on the slopes of the last climb, the first category Col de la Colombière.
His speeds eclipsed the efforts of his rivals and Pogacar rode the Romme climb almost a mile an hour faster than Carapaz. Even a promotional sausage truck that got stuck against a rock face on the Montée de Romme, but thankfully was moved before the riders arrived, probably wouldn’t have slowed its progress.
On the Colombière, the 22-year-old increased his lead over Carapaz and moved closer to Woods, behind the wheel of Israel Start-Up Nation, who was three minutes ahead at the foot of the last obstacle. Halfway through the Colombière, he had made up for his delay of almost four minutes on the leader of the long distance race overnight, Mathieu van der Poel of Alpecin Fenix, then strengthened his lead in the general classification in the rapid descent to the finish.
Woods came third on the scene, behind Teuns and Ion Izagirre from Astana-Premier Tech.
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