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Tornado Tadej
Tadej Pogacar continued what could be the greatest ever season by a cyclist after backing up his dominant Giro d’Italia display with his third victory in the Tour de France.
Not since Marco Pantani in 1998 had a rider achieved such a feat – Pogacar doing so in Nice with a 6’17” advantage over two-time defending champion and rival Jonas Vingegaard.
UAE Team Emirates sports director Matxin Fernandez labelled the Slovenian “perfection” after the presentation before acknowledging the “team of champions” he had working in his favour throughout the three-week race.
Having won six stages at the Giro and a further six at the Tour, Pogacar wore the leader’s jersey for a combined 39 stages out of a possible 42 and led by a combined total of 16’13”.
With fatigue forcing his withdrawal from the Olympics, the 25-year-old will now target the world road race title in September to complete the sweep of the sport’s famous ‘Triple Crown’.
Only Eddy Merckx (1974) and Stephen Roche (1987) have managed to win the men’s treble, with Pogacar perhaps boasting the best chance to join such elite company since Alberto Contador in 2008.
Valiant Vingegaard
History rarely remembers second place, but in the case of Jonas Vingegaard, it is imperative we never forget.
Barely 12 weeks removed from a crash that left him hospitalised and doubtful to return in time, Vingegaard defied expectations and would eventually finish ahead of 174 other riders.
Only Tadej Pogacar was out of reach for the Dane, but you could not fault his efforts – on limited preparation – where the pain was etched across his face with every climb.
As Pogacar celebrated his success after Stage 21, Vingegaard was seen hunched over his handlebars in a symbol of pure exhaustion. His comeback was complete and wasn’t it remarkable.
For Visma-Lease A Bike, simply getting the 27-year-old to the Tour was a victory, and after reaching second place on the podium, it should never be seen as anything less.
Project Complete
Mark Cavendish came, saw, and conquered ‘Project 35’ after winning Stage 5 in Saint-Vulbas to set the all-time record for victories at the Tour de France.
Cavendish had been tied with the great Eddy Merckx since the 2021 edition and vowed 2023 would be his last before an unfortunate crash cut his campaign short.
The nature of the Briton’s exit only fuelled his desire for one last attempt, and with Mark Renshaw back in his corner as Astana-Qazaqstan sports director, the 39-year-old finally found his breakthrough.
A perfectly played finale saw Cavendish surge past his rivals and raise his arms in a moment cycling fans will never forget – one that now cements his standing as the greatest sprinter the sport has ever seen.
A New Era
In his own words, Biniam Girmay has ‘opened the door’ for African cycling after becoming the first black rider to win the points classification at the Tour de France.
What began as a tall task was soon made possible through sheer determination, the Eritrean producing three stage victories and a slew of intermediate sprint points over the three-week event.
Supported by his family and those at Intermarche-Wanty, the 24-year-old confirmed he had never been happier, before admitting not even he expected to achieve such results.
But now, with an unforgettable display behind him, a new chapter awaits for African cycling, with Girmay adding: “we’ve been cycling for a long time, but winning stages and a green jersey, it’s now possible.”
A Nice finish?
Much has been made of the 2024 finale in Nice, where a time trial replaced the traditional sprint stage on the Champs-Elysees in Paris.
The presence of the Olympics in the French capital forced race organisers into making such a change, but not every rider was a fan of it.
Australian Jai Hindley finished the final day in 34th position – 18th overall after taking leadership of the team following Primoz Roglic’s withdrawal midway through the race – and revealed his preference for the race to return to its norm.
“I prefer Paris,” Hindley told SBS Sport after Stage 21. “We’d rather not finish with a (time trial) to be honest.”
Tadej Pogacar is one rider who will have little qualms with the change, however, after taking out the stage and putting the icing on the cake of his unforgettable overall victory.
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Tour de France 2024
