Is this season going to be a two-those show?
Two weeks ago, I wrote about the very early season dominance of Tadej Pogacar. In fact, one of his rivals, Frenchman Romain Bardet, gave up his chance of winning the Tour de France due to the superiority of the Slovenian.
In case you didn’t have access to the internet the past three years, Pogacar won the 2020 and the 2021 editions of the Tour the France. But he lost the crown last year to a Dane, Jonas Vingegaard, in a highly entertaining, old school-like racing, making it one of the most entertaining Tours since 1989 when Greg Lemond out-duelled his nemesis, the late Laurent Fignon by 8 seconds!
Three weeks ago, in a span of seven days, Pog, as he is fondly called, won a one-day classic called Classica Jaen in Spain and then won the overall of the Vuelta a Andalucia, winning 3 out of the 5 stages it offered. His win was not exactly the thrilling type of finish but a dominating ride. For example, he dropped the whole group, (except for the solo rider ahead in which he would also dispatch) with over 40 km to go and won solo by miles.
The previous years, the defending Tour champion and the contenders usually are just in their training camps at this point and maybe enter a race just to determine the physical state they are in. The Lance Armstrongs, the Jan Ullrichs and the Miguel Indurains of the world, if they race, would all do that and give the wins to their teammates who are going to sacrifice their lives for them later in the season.
Pog was having none of that. But where was Jonas? A week later after the Pog show in Spain, in a race in northwestern Spain called O Camino, Jonas won 2 of the 4 stages. The first stage was cancelled due to snowy conditions and the fourth stage, a time-trial, is already favored to the Dane.
So this exhibition of the two of the biggest stars in the sport in the early season, how would we, the cycling fans, make it? Well, nothing short of blockbuster assuming their form holds until the Tour de France. I am licking my lips right now because in two weeks, Pog and Jonas will meet for the first time this season in the Paris-Nice race.
Early season races tend to be training races for the stars but not anymore. Every win counts, especially in cycling where the “What-have-you-won-lately” questions seems to follow every winner of yesterday’s race.
Two Saturdays ago was the official start of the Spring Classics, and it was to no surprise that Team Jumbo Visma came out swinging in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, a 200km race full of short, steep and cobbled climbs.
Dylan van Baarle, a new recruit of Jumbo Visma from team INEOS, won it on a breakaway. I wasn’t surprised since van Baarle also won last year’s Queen of the Classics, Paris-Roubaix, on a breakaway. It would be interesting to know how Dylan’s win will affect the status of his more imminent teammate, Wout van Aert, who will make his 2023 debut this Saturday in the Strade Bianche.
This early, 2023 season promises to be exciting. I just wish everyone good health for the rest of the season.*