{"id":184452,"date":"2021-07-08T11:08:47","date_gmt":"2021-07-08T11:08:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=184452"},"modified":"2021-07-08T11:08:47","modified_gmt":"2021-07-08T11:08:47","slug":"tdf-commentary-column-the-shocks-and-excitement-continue-in-week-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2021\/07\/08\/tdf-commentary-column-the-shocks-and-excitement-continue-in-week-2\/","title":{"rendered":"TdF Commentary Column: The Shocks and Excitement Continue in Week 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

It would have been quite normal to expect that, after a first week filled with crashes, shocks and drama, the Tour de France would lose some of its excitement going into the second week. But not at all. This is a Tour de France that just keeps giving.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Yes, the Tour is always exciting, but what we experienced over the first seven stages was unprecedented. And some of it affected what happened in Week 2, such as the biggest shock of the race so far, the abandonment by last year\u2019s runner-up, Primo\u017e Rogli\u010d<\/a>\u00a0of Jumbo-Visma. The 31-year-old Slovenian, one of the top pre-race favourites, crashed twice during the first three stages of the Tour. His crash in stage 3 was particularly damaging, causing him to lose great swathes of skin from crashing onto the pavement.<\/p>\n

\"Rogli\u010d<\/a>
Rogli\u010d after stage 3. \u00a9 Profimedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Though Rogli\u010d<\/a> managed to hold his own in the stage 4 individual time trial, when the race reached the Alps, in stage 8, the injuries made themselves felt and he finished the stage in last place in the general classification, more than 35 minutes behind the leaders. Still weak and with a Tour victory now impossible, he took the prudent and inevitable decision to abandon the race.<\/p>\n

Stage 8 was also important because it illustrated that the 2021 Tour de France is Tadej Poga\u010dar\u2019s<\/a> to win or lose. It was the first mountain stage of the race and last year\u2019s yellow jersey winner decided during its running to make a statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the morning we didn\u2019t plan for me to hit hard today,\u201d he said afterwards. \u201cI feel great in this weather and, before the last three climbs, I told my teammates we were going to try and smash the race because I saw everybody was suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Fighting double Mont Ventoux be like \ud83e\udd75\ud83e\udd74\u2620\ufe0f
Congrats @woutvanaert<\/a> what a stage win \ud83d\udc4f.
Today the team saved me with all the water bottles, thanks guys @uae_team_emirates. https:\/\/t.co\/6CBI6EeIHZ<\/a><\/p>\n

— Tadej Poga\u010dar (@TamauPogi) July 7, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n