Opinion: Wout van Aert the mere warm-up act for Tadej Pogacar’s headline performance on Tour de France's yellow stage

If Wout van Aert, to borrow a phrase from Tom Pidcock, is “playing with the peloton’s balls,” then Tadej Pogacar is, well, crushing them. On the day the Belgian toyed with everyone while trying to pull off the impossible, it was ultimately the Slovenian superstar who ended up stealing the show and making the headlines in Longwy.

By winning his first stage of the 2022 Tour and ripping the yellow jersey from Van Aert’s shoulders, it’s Pogacar who has taken on his predecessor’s previously indomitable aura. Ad/> All of a sudden, it’s as if the man who has lit up this first week of the Tour has become a mere foil for his younger colleague – a warm-up act, if you will, with Pogacar now set to headline the Pyramid Stage on the final night at Glastonbury and Van Aert relegated to playing the tambourine.

/> Tour de France'They wont be beaten yet' — The Breakaway on Vingegaard challenging Pogacar2 HOURS AGO Pogacar goes into yellow with Stage 6 win after astonishing Van Aert effort 'Hard to understand' — Contador puzzled by Van Aert strategy despite incredible display Here lies the dilemma for cycling fans perpetually trying to rank their heroes in order of worth, achievements, capabilities and character. In Van Aert there is an undeniable giant – a rider whom a leather-clad, heavy-breathing Bradley Wiggins can’t stop ogling from the back of his motorbike; a freak of nature for whom Adam Blythe admits he holds a man crush; a natural born entertainer who can end a Tour run of finishing 1-1-2-2-2-1 by burying himself for his team just 20 hours before going on a one-man crusade for glory in the 220km Stage 6.