Quinn Simmons: Last News

LONGWY, France : Twice defending champion Tadej Pogacar stormed to victory in stage six of the Tour de France on Thursday with a late lung-busting effort and snatched the overall leader's yellow jersey from Wout van Aert.

The 109th edition of the Tour has not even reached the mountains and defending champion Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) already has the yellow jersey on his back. On the race’s longest – and fastest – day, the Slovenian superstar zipped clear of his rivals to win the uphill sprint at Longwy as Belgium Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) conceded the yellow jersey in style.

The Slovenian was unsurprisingly on Monday named in the UAE Team Emirates line-up for the race, which gets underway in Copenhagen on Friday. Switzerland's Marc Hirschi was a notable omission, but Polish climber Rafal Majka, Mikkel Bjerg, Brandon McNulty and Vegard Stake Laengen all made the cut. New Zealander George Bennett and Spain's Marc Soler, both signed in the off-season, are in the team, as is Italian sprinter Matteo Trentin. "We've worked very hard all year as a team to prepare for this," said the 23-year-old Pogacar. "So far this year has been positive for the team and we hope to continue this momentum." Pogacar is a strong favourite for the Tour after another impressive season which has seen him win the one-day Strade Bianche and two stage races. Meanwhile, Trek-Segafredo named former world champion Mads Pedersen as their team leader on Monday. Kazakh Alexey Lutsenko, who finished seventh last year, will be the main man for Astana, who will also have four Italian riders on the start line in Denmark.

When race leader Tadej Pogacar made his move on the steep slopes of Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 6’s final climb nobody could go with him. The Slovenian soloed over the top and cruised carefully down again, to take victory by more than a minute.

Como si de un videojuego se tratase, Tadej Pogacar está jugando en modo fácil. Al menos esa es la sensación que transmite el esloveno por la superioridad aplastante que atesora cada vez que gana. No tiene rival, gana cómo y cuándo quiere. Esta es la realidad. En la el esloveno se acercó a la reválida de su corona en la carrera de los dos mares: victoria y liderato gracias a un ataque portentoso en el selecto grupo de elegidos que se jugó el triunfo en la cima de Bellante. Son cinco victorias del esloveno a 10 de marzo en la presente temporada en únicamente 12 días de competición. Sí, han leido bien. De momento, Remco Evenepoel es el único que mantiene algo de emoción en la carrera al resistir a 9 segundos de Pogi en la general.

Ha dado comienzo la ascensión al Col de la Mûre, de primera categoría. En la escapada, McNulty ataca y descuelga a varios corredores, Rubén Fernández entre ellos.