Pogacar delivered a perfect lead-out, but for the wrong team: "The idea was obviously stuck in my head"
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Follow us on GoogleWith Juan Sébastian Molano's unexpected absence, it was now up to Tadej Pogacar to perform in the first stage of the UAE Tour. The world champion would have had a good chance with the difficult finish if he had not started his sprint almost 400 meters from the finish line. This gave the UAE Team Emirates—XRG leader zero chance, who later explained how this was possible.
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When Molano's rear tire exploded, Pogacar was just ahead of his Colombian teammate. The sprinter lost control and flipped over the central reservation. Miraculously, he did not take anyone else down with him. 'We were a bit unlucky with Sebas crashing," the Slovenian explained on his team's channels. "Things didn't go as planned at the end of the final. But otherwise, we had good legs, we tried and it was a nice race."
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Normally, Pogacar would have provided a lead-out for Molano, but he was not there after his crash. "It looked like I was still stuck in my leadout idea because I went so early in the wind! If Molano wasn't unlucky, I think it would have been something super beautiful," Pogacar added. Jonathan Milan gratefully took advantage of Pogacar's unintentional help and won the stage. The Slovenian finished just inside the top ten, thanks partly to a disqualification of the number two, Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck).
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Pogacar looks forward to "first real long effort"
But all is not lost: the opening stage on Monday was not a goal for the world champion anyway. On Tuesday, there is a time trial, during which he can potentially do well in the GC. "I am looking forward to tomorrow, it's going to be the first real long effort of the season. The feeling is ok, there was a lot of work done in the winter and I hope it pays off tomorrow in the time trial."
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Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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