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Losing the Day, Winning the Tour TDF21-135
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) had plenty of time in hand, but I am sure he would have loved to win yet another stage in this Tour. He has already won the first time trial way back on stage 5 in the first week of the 2021 Tour de France. Then he won both mountain top finishes in the Pyrennes, and those wins were back to back. So while he only finshed 8th today, and he conceded thirty seconds to Jonas Vingegaard, he still comes out of the day with a very comfortable lead. It is traditional not to attack the Maillot Jaune on the final day of the Tour, but even if someone does so, he has five minutes on everyone else. It is near impossible to take five minutes on a flat stage if the peloton doesn't want you to. All he has to do is stay upright and somewhere near the winner of the stage and he will have won his second Tour de France in a row. He will also win the Maillot a Pois and the Maillot Blanc. All he left for others is the Maillot Vert, which will just about certainly go to Mark Cavendish. Hopefully, Cav will also surpass Eddy Merckx's record of total stage wins in the Tour de France. Check back tomorrow to see if history is made.