BARCELONA, 9 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) was “a little disappointed” after finishing third in the eighth stage of the Tour de France, although he retains the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification for one more day and widens his advantage by four more seconds thanks to at four bonus seconds.
“I liked the last climb. I hesitated a bit in the sprint and Van Aert passed me with great speed. I’m a bit disappointed, but third place is still good,” he said.
The Slovenian was overtaken in the last meters of the Côte du Stade Olympique de Lausanne by an inexhaustible Van Aert, who got his second victory, and by the Australian Michael Matthews (Team BikeExchange-Jayco).
“It wasn’t that far away, but today was a fun and long day. It was getting hotter and hotter and there were a lot of dangerous spots,” said the UAE Team Emirates driver.
The double winner of the Tour was immersed in the initial montonera, although he returned to the peloton without problems. A fall that the 23-year-old cyclist described as “one of the softest” he has experienced.
Pogacar consolidated his leadership this Friday by taking advantage of the bonus seconds to extend his lead in the general classification. Thus, the Dane Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), the main pursuer of him, is second overall at 39 seconds.