Giro d'Italia: La Planche des Belles Filles or Perugia - which Tadej Pogacar time trial was better?
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Published 10/05/2024 at 17:55 GMT
After witnessing Tadej Pogacar on a tear-up during Stage 7's individual time trial at the Giro d'Italia, Eurosport's 'The Breakaway' team were reminded of the Slovenian's previous for this type of thing, most notably on La Planche des Belles Filles when he snatched the Tour de France from a disbelieving Primoz Roglic in 2020. But which of these rides was better?
La Planche des Belles Filles or Perugia? Pogacar time trial feats compared
After Tadej Pogacar's extraordinary performance to demolish the rest of the field at the Giro d'Italia in the Stage 7 individual time trial, minds were cast back to late summer 2020 and the Tour de France.
Pogacar began Stage 20 of that Tour 57 seconds down on race leader and fellow Slovenian Primoz Roglic, but turned in one of the all-time great TT rides on the famed La Planche des Belles Filles climb to turn that hefty deficit into a 59-second lead of his own, and with it the yellow jersey, which he held onto for a first Tour win.
On Friday, Pogacar approached the final climb into Perugia well down on two-time world time trial champion Filippo Ganna, a true specialist in the discipline with the palmares to prove it.
But Pogacar was undeterred, making up an enormous chunk of time to end up winning the stage by 17 seconds, and as a consequence establishing a whopping 2’38’’ GC lead just a week into the race.
Reacting on Eurosport's 'The Breakaway' show, Dan Lloyd said: "I think for me, La Planche des Belles Filles is always going to stand out, because it was so unexpected on that day.
"Roglic looked like he had it in the bag, no one thought that Pogacar was going to be able to get close to him, let alone beat him by as much as he did.
"We now know his capabilities not just in the mountains but in the time trials as well, on his day.
"So I think for me [today was] less of a surprise."
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Pogacar says 'full gas' climb key to remarkable victory
Twelve-time Giro stage winner Robbie McEwen, however, pointed out that the calibre of rider he overcame in the Giro ITT came into the discussion.
He said: "I think too, looking at who he beat today, he beat Filippo Ganna.
"Even though it had a 6km climb at the end, the flat 34km to start with, we all thought that Ganna would still win."
He added: "It was incredible, the deficit that Pogacar had at the bottom of the climb.
"Pogacar has absolutely smashed it. I think Dan calculated he made up about one minute and four seconds on the last 6.5km uphill. That is madness."
Former British national champion Adam Blythe reflected on Pogacar's clearly ecstatic mindset having crossed the line, and what that showed.
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Watch closing stages of epic time trial as Pogacar overhauls Ganna at the last
"I think what's more mindblowing is that he only lost 40 seconds to Ganna on his terrain," Blythe said.
"You expect him to make up time [on the climb], but Ganna would have gone all in on the flat and then hung on for as long as he can.
"It's just so impressive, we know what this guy [Pogacar] can do. We saw him cross the line how much it meant to him, completely different kettle of fish to what he normally does.
"For him today, he'd have been like, I've just beaten Ganna in something he is the best in the world at, but not only have I beaten him, politely he's smashed him."
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