The packed racing schedule, with Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico drawing to a close, as well as Ronde van Drenthe taking place on Saturday, meant that the past weekend was one for settling on the sofa and staying there.
(Unfortunately, I had plans all weekend. But that’s what the record button is for I suppose…)
At Paris-Nice, history almost repeated itself for Primož Roglič after the Slovenian was put under intense pressure by second-place Simon Yates during the race’s final stage in the mountains around Nice.
While Yates appeared to have conceded the race to Roglič after the Slovenian’s imposing victory on the Col de Turini on Saturday, the British rider’s explosive attack on the final ascent of the Col d’Eze looked for a while like it was going to be the race-winning move, as the Jumbo-Visma rider momentarily wilted under the pressure.
However, Roglič was able to avoid a repeat of last year’s final stage loss to Max Schachmann – not to mention his last gasp defeat to compatriot Tadej Pogačar at the 2020 Tour – thanks to one man: Wout van Aert.
The Belgian put in spectacular shift to pace his team leader over the top of the Col d’Eze and down into Nice. While a snood-wearing Yates took an impressive stage win, the green and yellow van Aert and Roglič tandem limited their losses to just nine seconds, to ensure the Slovenian victory in an enthralling finale to the Race to the Sun, remarkably his first stage race win on French soil.
After clinching the GC, Roglič praised his teammate, describing van Aert as ‘half human, half motor’, the same compliment he gave Rohan Dennis earlier in the race (perhaps given the unsubstantiated rumours that used to swirl around Roglič’s bike, best to stay away from the motor comparisons, eh Primož?).
The illness that swept through the Paris-Nice peloton – combined with a tough race – meant that only 59 riders finished in Nice, the lowest number of finishers at the race since 1985.
Apart from a few heart-in-mouth scenes on Saturday’s snow-lined descents, things were a lot less dramatic at Tirreno-Adriatico, where Tadej Pogačar once again showed that he’s the best in the business, winning the race for the second year in a row with what is fast becoming a trademark long-distance move.
With Remco Evenepoel already suffering early in the stage, losing minutes by the end, Pogačar attacked a group containing Jonas Vingegaard, Mikel Landa, Richie Porte and Enric Mas – which wasn’t hanging around itself – with 16km to go on the steep Monte Carpegna (training ground of Marco Pantani).
By the finish, the UAE Team Emirates rider had put over a minute into Vingegaard and a rejuvenated Landa, with Mas crashing and Porte unclipping on the treacherous final descent.
While Pog has downplayed his chances at Milan-Sanremo this Saturday, his performances at Tirreno and Strade Bianche surely make him one of the favourites for La Primavera. Maybe only van Aert can stop him?
At the Ronde van Drenthe, Team DSM’s Lorena Wiebes recovered from a late puncture to sprint to the win, beating world champion Elisa Balsamo and Lotte Kopecky in a dramatic end to an attacking finale which saw Jumbo-Visma’s Anouska Koster only caught in the finishing straight.
The big winner of the week, however? Alex Dowsett, for one particular reason: