The endless embrace of 'Matxin' and the ecstasy of Pogacar: "I still can't believe it"

The effort of the last ramp of La Planche des Belles Filles had been so explosive that it still did not allow him to catch his breath.

waited until the arrival of

to see with his own eyes that he had won the Tour de France with an exhibition to remember.

When he could get some air, he received the most effusive of congratulations.

An endless hug from

,

, Team Emirates sports director.

"I still can't believe it. It's a dream. They were telling me about it on the radio, I was pushing harder and harder and in the end I got it," said the Slovenian at the finish line, who beat

and

in 1:21

.

"It is going to be difficult for me to assimilate. It has been incredible. Winning the Tour was not a dream in my youth, because the dream was simply to participate in the Tour," he added.

He had just become the second youngest winner in Tour history, behind only

.

The feat of the Frenchman in 1904, at 19 years and 352 days, now finds a worthy successor in the hands of Pogacar, who will turn 22 next Monday.

Two million token

Sunday's triumphant ride to Paris will be the best reward for the Emirates team, led by 'Matxin'.

"Tadej is perfection made a cyclist. Good person, grateful and with a smile always on his mouth," said the Basque coach last week.

The hug at the finish line, where he lifted his disciple more than a foot off the ground, confirmed their mutual admiration.

'Matxin' had bet very hard on the boy, who in 2019, during his first stage as a professional, won the Tour of California and three stages in the Vuelta a España, where he climbed to the third step of the podium in Madrid.

In fact, the interest of the rivals, with Team Ineos at the forefront, forced the owners of Emirates to multiply the chip of their young promise.

According to current estimates, Pogacar charges two million euros a year, an amount slightly lower than other great figures, such as

,

,

or

.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

• sports

• cycling

• Tour de France

Tour de France 2020Top 10 favorites of the Coronavirus Tour

Tour de FranceAndersen double before the clock that will decide the podium in Paris

Tour de France 2020Egan Bernal and the supremacy threatened by the great team of the Jumbo-Visma

See links of interest

• Last minute

• Spanish translator

• Programming

• 2020 calendar

• Horoscope today

• Movies Today

• Topics

• Coronavirus

• The time trial that will decide the Tour, live: Lure - La Planche des Belles Filles

• Villarreal - Eibar

• Getafe - Osasuna

• Celta de Vigo - Valencia CF