Tadej Pogacar Eyes Tour de France After Historic Giro Win

Tadej Pogacar, the Slovenian cyclist, secured a remarkable victory in his debut Giro d’Italia by comfortably cruising through Rome in the final stage on Sunday. Known for his successes in the Tour de France, Pogacar showcased his dominance by winning six out of the 21 stages, finishing an impressive nine minutes and 56 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Daniel Martinez from Colombia. Geraint Thomas from Britain clinched third place, trailing Pogacar by 10 minutes and 24 seconds.

Pogacar’s triumph in the Giro d’Italia represented the largest margin of victory since 1965, as he held onto the pink jersey since stage two. Reflecting on his monumental achievement, the 25 years old expressed speechlessness and described the experience as “amazing” and filled with countless cherished memories. In the thrilling conclusion to the 125km final stage in Rome, Tim Merlier emerged victorious in a sprint finish, narrowly edging out Jonathan Milan.

However, it was Pogacar’s absolute dominance in the general classification that secured him the top spot, followed by Daniel Martinez in second place and Geraint Thomas in third. Looking ahead, Tadej Pogacar sets his sights on emulating Marco Pantani’s 1998 feat by conquering both the Giro d’Italia and the upcoming Tour de France which is set to commence on June 29th.

Notably, Geraint Thomas at 38 years old became only the second rider aged 38 or over to podium in Giro history. With retirement on the horizon after the next season, Thomas eagerly anticipates the challenge of the Tour de France, aiming to leverage his wealth of experience to support his team.