Právě v časovce před dvěma roky dokázal takřka rozhodnout o svém posledním vítězství na nejprestižnějším závodě, když Pogačarovi nadělil 98 vteřin na 22 kilometrech. Teď ho však stejná disciplína vůbec nepodržela, 28letý Dán ji zajel vůbec nejhůře v kariéře na Tour.
Poprvé se nevešel do elitní desítky, skončil až třináctý. Co je však podstatnější, na vítězného Remca Evenepoela ztratil propastných 81 vteřin, na druhého Pogačara 65 sekund. „Byl to pro mě těžký den. Někdy to tak prostě je. Neměl jsem nohy, bojoval jsem s nimi i kolem. Není k tomu moc co dodat,“ prohodil stručně v pozávodních rozhovorech.
Ani Grischa Niermann, sportovní ředitel jeho stáje Visma – Lease a Bike, nedokázal najít hlubší důvody špatného výkonu svého lídra na 33 kilometrů dlouhé trati. „Nemám tušení, čím to bylo. Ale došlo mi už po čtyřech kilometrech, kdy ztrácel osm sekund na Remca, že nemá svůj den. Ztrácel po celou dobu stejně, nešlo o jeden konkrétní úsek, který by mu nevyšel,“ popisoval.
Možnou příčinu se snažili najít přítomní reportéři, kteří zmiňovali nový výbušnější styl Vingegaardova závodění. „Že Jonas víc trénoval výbušnost? To s tím podle mě nesouvisí. Trávil taky hodně času na časovkářském kole. Věděli jsme, že časovky budou na letošní Tour extrémně důležité. Takže myslím, že tohle nebyla příčina,“ odpovídal Niermann.
Vítěz Tour de France z let 2022 a 2023 přitom necítil, že by měl tak moc zaostat za největšími konkurenty. „Nečekal jsem to. Překvapilo mě, jak na tom byly moje nohy. Ale to je zkrátka součást cyklistiky. Nicméně Tour je dlouhá, pořád mám motivaci a věřím, že je všechno možné,“ prohlásil po páté etapě, po níž ze čtvrté pozice ztrácí na Pogačara minutu a 13 sekund.
„Rozdíl je teď kolem jedné minuty. Na první pohled to vypadá hodně, ale víme z posledních let, že Tour se vyhrávala i s větším rozdílem. Stále ji můžeme vyhrát,“ dodal Vingegaard.
Jeho rival musí řešit o něco příjemnější starosti. Do žlutého trikotu se oblékl už po páté etapě. A představa, že by ho tým UAE Emirates musel střežit bez přestávky až do Paříže, se jeví jako hodně složitá. Lídra i všechny domestiky by každá etapa stála dost množství sil navíc. „Mohlo by to být dlouhé. Našim hlavním cílem je udržet si výhodu na soupeře v celkovém pořadí, ale nutně nemusíme držet dres. Třeba někdo uskočí do úniku a žlutý trikot si vezme,“ nadhazoval Pogačar.
S nošením nejcennějšího artefaktu se navíc pojí také mediální povinnosti po každé etapě, a tedy rozhovory i účast na pódiu. Tomu už se však 26letý Slovinec dost možná nevyhne do konce Tour. Aktuálně je totiž držitelem hned tří speciálních trikotů. Puntíkatého pro nejlepšího vrchaře a poprvé v kariéře i zeleného pro vedoucího muže bodovací soutěže. „Škoda, že si ho ve čtvrtek neobléknu, protože jsem ho na sobě v závodě ještě nikdy neměl,“ smutnil mistr světa.
Přednost totiž pochopitelně dostane prestižní žlutá barva. Ta, kterou chce Pogačar přivézt až do Paříže.
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