Pogacar consolidates the yellow in the first hilltop finish News

The Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) has won this Friday the seventh stage of the Tour de France, disputed between Tomblaine and La Super Planche des Belles Filles over 176.5 kilometers, in a spectacular final that has earned him to retain the jersey yellow.

With the German escapee Lennard Kämna (BORA-hansgrohe) trapped in the final 'sterrato', Pogacar deprived victory to a combative Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), the only daring to stand up to the Slovenian in the last 100 meters of the ascent . But glory was on the side of the 23-year-old two-time French round champion, who crowned the stage for the second day in a row.

The insatiable hunger of Pogacar, who seems to know little about retaining the yellow jersey, was devastating to beat Vingegaard in the last pedal strokes, who for the moment proved to be his main rival in this edition. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) finished third and lost again to his compatriot -this time 12 seconds- so he is 2:45 behind the undisputed leader of the general standings.

Lennard Kämna was the bravest on the final climb. His determination to complete the breakaway came close to materializing, but the last kilometer, with a final 24 per cent ramp, robbed him of his chance to win the stage.

The small group of escapees reached the foot of the first-class port with a one-minute lead. Simon Geschke (Cofidis) was the first to start to go off alone, but ended up overtaken by a very powerful Kämna, who maintained a difference of 45 seconds in his favor with two kilometers to go.

But heroism was one step away and, precisely, the hero was once again the Emirates. Pogacar warned sailors before the stage that La Planche des Belles Filles is a "very tough" climb and one of his favourites, and after his display there was no doubt once again of his imperial dominance in his third French round.

In this way, Kämna finished fourth, also surpassed by Roglic, who was racing again in an unpleasant scenario for the Slovenian, losing the yellow jersey in 2020 in the penultimate stage against Pogacar, a time trial that was decided in the same port as the last happened this Friday.

The hilltop finish exceeded the aspirations of some cyclists in the fight for the general, such as Ben O'Connor (AG2R Citröen Team) and Jakob Fuglsang (Israel-Premier Tech), who are already more than five minutes behind Pogacar, while Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost), after starting second, lost more than a minute.

In the case of the Spanish Enric Mas (Movistar Team) he finished seventh after a great job by the telephone team, who put Imanol Erviti in the break of the day. The Navarrese cyclist gave in in the last ten kilometers to take some drums from the car and deliver them to his teammates before the hilltop finish.

For this reason, Movistar's leader did not loosen up, unlike some of his rivals for the first places in the French round, and completed the great work to enter the 'Top 10' of the general classification, one minute and 43 seconds behind Pogacar .

This Saturday comes the eighth stage of the Tour de France, which will enter Switzerland, the fourth country in the current edition after Denmark, Belgium and France. The town of Lausanne will be the end of a 186-kilometre stage starting in Dole.

--CLASSIFICATIONS.

-Stage.

1. Tadej Pogacar (SVN/UAE Team Emirates) 3:58:40.

2. Jonas Vingegaard (DIN/Jumbo-Visma) m.t.

3. Primoz Roglic (SVN/Jumbo-Visma) m.t.

4. Lennard Källa (GER / BORA-hansgrohe) m.t.

5. Geraint Thomas(GBR/INEOS Grenadiers) m.t.

... // ... 7. ENRIC MAS (ESP / Movistar Team) 0:21.

-General.

1. Tadej Pogacar (SVN/UAE Team Emirates) 24:43:14.

2. Jonas Vingegaard (DIN/Jumbo-Visma) 0:35.

Primoz Roglic (SVN / Jumbo-Visma) 01:10.