Photos: UAE Team Emirates' Tadej Pogacar's march to the 2021 Tour de France title

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Photos: UAE Team Emirates' Tadej Pogacar's march to the 2021 Tour de France title

Slovenian and UAE teammates claim crown in dominant showing across France

Published: July 18, 2021 12:31 Matthew Smith, Sport Editor

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UAE Team Emirates rider Tadej Pogacar celebrates as he crosses the line in the time-trial on Stage 20 of the Tour de Franceduring stage 20 REUTERS/Stephane Mahe — Defending Tour de France champion and runaway leader Tadej Pogacar will ride into Paris on Sunday where he will, barring a disaster, pull on the overall leader’s yellow jersey beneath the Arc de Triomphe as the sun sets on a dominant win. Image Credit: Reuters

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Team UAE Emirates' Tadej Pogacar is in a relaxed mood ahead of the time-trial — Pogacar stole in at the 11th hour to win the 2020 Tour de France, but this year he stamped his authority in the first week and rode the 21 days of the world’s greatest bike race head and shoulders above his rivals. Image Credit: AFP

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210702 Cavendish — What would normally be just a ceremonial run into the French capital also has a sense of the end of the old era too as 36-year-old Mark Cavendish attempts to win one last time and beat the tally of 34 stage wins he shares with Eddy Merckx. Image Credit: AFP

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UAE Team Emirates Tour de France leader Tadej Pogacar in the yellow jersey on Stage 15 — The 22-year-old Pogacar’s hard work is done this year, and Merckx tipped the Slovenian to take a tilt at his “real record” of five Tour de France wins. “He looks like the new ‘Cannibal’,” Merckx said in reference to the Belgian legend’s famous nickname. Image Credit: Reuters

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Tadej Pogacar — Pogacar “rode between the raindrops” after surviving a litany of crashes as the Tour embarked from the nation’s western tip at the Atlantic port of Brest. Image Credit: AFP

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Tadej Pogacar — The Slovenian then pulverised his rivals in the first time-trial as the race headed towards the Swiss and Italian border ski resorts where he also held his own. Image Credit: Reuters

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UAE Team Emirates' Tadej Pogacar wearing the Tour de France leader's yellow jersey in the Alps — The UAE Team Emirates leader then produced a pair of joyful mountain victories in the Pyrenees to rubber stamp his status as the best rider on the Tour this year. Image Credit: AFP

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Tadej Pogacar — He will also win the awards for best rider under-25 and the king of the mountains polka-dot jersey, a triple he also achieved on his debut last year. Image Credit: AFP

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Tadej Pogacar — The Monaco resident, who earns five million euros per year, said he had had fun, but was delighted to have survived a bad day Saturday in the sizzling heat of the time-trial run to Saint-Emilion. Image Credit: AP

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Tadej Pogacar — “It was very hot and I was suffering a bit. But I’m super happy. It still was a super performance,” said Pogacar. “What a demanding three weeks it has been.” Image Credit: Reuters

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Tadej Pogacar — It is a relentless schedule for Pogacar. Next up is a trip to Tokyo on Monday for the Olympic Games. Image Credit: AFP

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Tadej Pogacar — Jumbo’s Jonas Vingegaard goes into the final day run in second, while Ineos’ Richard Carapaz is in third. Image Credit: AFP

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Tadej Pogacar — “I’d have told anyone they were nuts,” Vingegaard said when asked what he would have replied if told three weeks ago he’d be second on the Tour de France. “Tadej was so strong in the rainy stages, he won it there in the rain." Image Credit: AFP

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Tadej Pogacar — For Tadej the sky is the limit as he goes for gold in Tokyo and then maps put his plans for the future Grand Tour races. Image Credit: AFP

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Tadej Pogacar — It is no secret that he also wants to add the Giro Italia and Vuelta d'Espana crowns to his CV. Image Credit: Reuters

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