Tour de France, a spectacular finish in Paris: Van Der Poel wins and Pogacar goes down in history

Pogacar’s statistics, in fact, speak for themselves. Not yet 28 years old (he’ll turn 28 on 21 September), the Slovenian boasts a formidable track record: his 126 victories include 5 Tours de France, one Giro d’Italia, 13 Monument classics and 2 World Championships. With 21 major titles to his name, only Merckx, on 33, ranks ahead of him. However, even the Belgian’s reign – as Eddy himself admitted in a recent interview – risks being overshadowed, as the Slovenian has plenty of time to surpass him by winning a sixth Tour. And then perhaps even to win all three Grand Tours in the same year. A prestigious ‘Triplete’ which, in modern cycling, only the UAE Team Emirates captain can realistically set his sights on.

It is this realisation – that Pogacar is an unbeatable cycling phenomenon on any terrain – that divides cycling fans, and not just them.

Champions who are too dominant – think of Merckx and Binda in cycling, Usain Bolt in athletics, or Sinner himself in tennis – inevitably become monotonous. Pogacar’s surges, his kilometre-long breakaways, are certainly spectacular, unique in their competitive grandeur. However, if you already know that as soon as the road climbs he’ll make his move – and then win – the magic of sport – which also stems from its unpredictability – suffers as a result. It’s an issue that Pogacar’s fans don’t like. The Slovenian’s most ardent supporters, as soon as it is pointed out to them that his dominance flattens the races, are outraged by this perceived lèse-majesté.

But the issue is there. Merckx, when criticised for his greed, would retort: “I don’t race to do charity work”. Pogacar, whilst less confrontational in his responses, is nonetheless just as ruthless – a serial predator who, with a smile and a couple of pats on the back, leaves nothing but dust in his wake. Can we blame him for that? No, a champion is a champion; it would be like saying that Maradona or Messi shouldn’t have gone overboard with their talent. Yet cycling also thrives on rivalry, on battles fought to the very last breath, on fans divided into factions. With our ‘Martian’, all that has faded somewhat. It’s a bit like going to see a film when you already know the ending. The actors are brilliant, the director is brilliant, but you’re left feeling a bit cold. It’s like always eating truffles and caviar – in the end, you start craving polenta and sausages.

The French, who perhaps expected a little more from their rising star Paul Seixas (a fourth-place finish is still an excellent result for a 19-year-old), even booed the yellow jersey during some stages. Only a few, to be sure, but it’s an old story: France doesn’t like those who dominate the race. Regardless of what the French think (they criticised Merckx too), Pogacar’s rivals should view his superiority as an extra incentive – an important one for overturning too many pre-determined outcomes. Instead, a growing sense of resignation prevails. The only ones trying to stand up to him – in one-day races – are Van der Poel, Van Aert and Evenepoel himself. After them, it’s a free-for-all.

The general classification of this Tour is staggering. Evenepoel, in second place, is almost seven minutes behind, followed by Del Toro at +9’ 42”. Seixas is off the podium, almost 12 minutes behind. The Spaniard Ayuso, hailed as a rising star, is seventh, over 17 minutes behind. The Ecuadorian Carapaz, despite his exploits on Alpe d’Huez, is eighth, twenty minutes behind.

The highest-placed Italian, Piganzoli from Valtellina – Vingegaard’s domestique – is 14th, more than an hour behind. It’s a bloodbath, not a classification. There’s a ‘Phenomenon’ – Pogacar – and we’re happy about that; and then there are all the others who are content with the crumbs the King leaves behind. It’ll all be very nice, as Pizzul used to say, but every now and then we wouldn’t mind a few more surprises, like Van Der Poel’s in Paris.