Tadej Pogacar was the cyclist who led the peloton when the banner of the last kilometer of the 2023 Tour crossed. At that moment, Jonas Vingegaard and all the Jumbo cyclists had already dropped to the back of the group, they even got off the hook, to savor the last meters of the second Tour conquered by the 26-year-old Danish champion without the hassle of the sprinters.
The Slovenian, restless and in search of the show from the first to the last day, has already launched the first attack on the streets of Paris. Van Hooydonck, Vingegaard’s partner, stuck to him, who did not give him half a relief. The Jumbo seemed not to be amused by Pogacar’s exhibitionism on a day where the leading role should have been his cyclist, the winner. But the thing is that Slovenian and Danish are night and day.
Unlike other years, there were many attempts to avoid the sprint. Castroviejo and Omar Fraile looked for their opportunity in the year in which Spanish cycling has won three stages after a long time without shining. The last attempt was that of Gorka Izagirre, from Movistar. But the sprinters were not about to run out of being able to contest the most glamorous sprint of the year.
Philipsen, green jersey, was the big favourite. Van der Poel threw him, as Alpecin likes, but he was left wanting to add his fifth victory. The surprise is that he did not beat Pedersen or Groenewegen. But he was surpassed on the other side by Jordi Meeus (Bora), the Belgian with a Catalan name. Almost no one counted on him because he was hardly seen as an alternative, since his best position on this Tour was sixth place in the massive finish at Bordeaux.
But the Paris sprint had a hidden punch. It could not be less in a spectacular Tour where Vingegaard already amazes and begins to scare. The Dane arouses as much admiration for his level, solidity and dedication as fear for his displays.
