Cycling, Roglic scores a hat-trick at the Tirreno-Adriatico, Pogacar show at the Paris-Nice

Pogacar call from Paris-Nice, Roglic responds to Tirreno-Adriatico. The parallel lives of the two Slovenians continue in the name of victories. Tadej triumphed in the queen stage of the French race, on the Col de la Couillole, Primoz imitated him a little later in Osimo. 53 career successes for Pogi, 68 for Rogla. In France, Pogacar beat Gaudu and pulled away (6″, not much, but the difference appeared clear) Vingegaard. Roglic’s victory in the stage of the walls in the Marches was more complicated, very hard with his thousand pulls, and very difficult to interpret tactically. The captain of Jumbo-Visma batted in a 5-man sprint Geoghegan Hart and Almeida. Ciccone lost 3”, behind Pidcock and Van Aert. Barring cataclysms, Roglic has mortgaged the Corsa dei due mari: his lead in the standings is now 18″ over Almeida and 23″ over Geoghegan Hart. Excellent 5th Giulio Ciccone, at 37”. At the end of the seven days in Central Italy, only the fraction of San Benedetto del Tronto is missing, 154 km rather nervous in the first part but closed by a very long flat straight. Stage for sprinters, and therefore safe success for Roglic, who in Osimo equaled Moreno Argentin (1992) and Oscar Freire (2005): three consecutive stage victories at the Tirreno. Roglic won in Tortoreto, Sassotetto and Osimo.

Paris-Nice still wide open

The story is not closed yet instead alla Paris-Nice. Despite extensive domination, especially psychological, Pogacar still has to defend against David Gaudu, 2nd in the general at just 12”. Vingegaard, who still appeared quite packed, is 3rd at 58”. And the last stage is far from simple: five climbs in the Nice-Nice, with the last classic test on the Col d’Eze before the dive towards the seafront.