He had taken power from his first participation, two years ago, by overthrowing Primoz Roglic during a bewildering time trial at the Planche des Belles Filles.

Except incident, this time he starts too far (3 min 21 sec behind) to hope to catch up with his Danish rival during the final time on Saturday towards Rocamadour and achieve the hat-trick.

Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, during the time trial of the 20th stage of the Tour de France between Lure and La Planche des Belles Filles, September 19, 2020 Marco BERTORELLO POOL / AFP / Archives

For the 23-year-old Slovenian, sometimes associated with the "cannibal" Eddy Merckx for his carnivorous appetite and his ability to win from March to October, this is the first setback in a fabulous career so far.

He welcomed him with a certain panache, on the bike attacking all the time, and in defeat by recognizing the superiority of his opponent at the end of a showdown that reached heights of intensity and dramaturgy.

The Dane Jonas Vingegaard, solo winner of the 18th stage of the Tour de France, on July 21, 2022 in Hautacam, ahead of the title holder, the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, who lost more than a minute Marco BERTORELLO AFP

"There couldn't be a better way to lose the Tour de France. I went + all-in + (all bet) for yellow. I will finish the Tour without regrets", he insisted Thursday at Hautacam, where his duel with Vingegaard was sealed around a handshake in the dizzying descent of the Col de Spandelles, after a fall from the Slovenian and a more or less controlled skid from the Dane.

The Slovenian Tadej Pogacar followed by the yellow jersey, the Dane Jonas Vingegaard, in the Col de Spandelles, on July 21, 2022, during the 18th stage of the Tour de France between Lourdes and Hautacam Thomas SAMSON AFP

"The Tour, like a bucket of water"

History will remember that Pogacar lost the Tour a week earlier, in the Col du Granon, where, after being harassed throughout the stage by the Jumbo team, he suffered a failure.

Several former champions also believe that the fiery "Pogi" paid the price for having wasted too much energy wanting to jump on anything that moves, win stages on the plain and sprint for places of honor.

The joy of Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, winner of the 6th stage of the Tour de France between Binche (Belgium) and Longwy, July 7, 2022 Anne-Christine POUJOULAT AFP / Archives

"The Tour de France is like a bucket of water, if you empty it too soon, you miss it at the end", summarizes with AFP Andy Schleck, winner of the Grande Boucle in 2010.

"At the same time it is because he fights that Pogacar is loved", nuance Bernard Thévenet, double winner of the 1970s, who believes that the popularity of the Slovenian will emerge reinforced from this Tour.

Questions also continue to be raised about Pogacar's ability to perform well in very hot weather and at high altitude in a Grande Boucle run partly in the heat wave and where the decisive stage offered two passes at more than 2,000 meters, the Galibier (2,642 m) and the Granon (2,413 m).

Slovenian Tadej Pogacar is trying to recover after the arrival of the 11th stage of the Tour de France, between Albertville and the Col du Granon Serre Chevalier, where he suffered a failure in the last kilometers CHRISTIAN HARTMANN POOL / AFP / Archives

If there is one point on which everyone agrees, it is that Pogacar's UAE team was less strong than Vingegaard's Jumbo, with Roglic, Kuss and van Aert.

The Vuelta and the Worlds as objectives

The Slovenian was also unlucky in quickly losing two Covid-19 positive teammates, Laengen and Bennett, as well as Soler (sick) and Majka (injured).

"Vingegaard and his team were stronger," admits UAE manager Mauro Gianetti, while recalling that Pogacar "still won three stages and the white jersey" for best youngster.

"I'm proud of Tadej, who probably could have won another stage and maybe won the best climber's jersey, but he risked everything to try to win the Tour. We have to be happy with what we achieved" , he added.

The green jersey, the Belgian Wout van Aert, takes his leader and yellow jersey, the Dane Jonas Vingegaard, to victory in the 18th stage of the Tour de France, on July 21, 2022 at the top of Hautacam Thomas SAMSON AFP

It is however obvious that Tadej Pogacar will not be satisfied with it.

Other goals await him, starting with the Vuelta (August 19 - September 11) and the world championships in Australia (September 18-25).

That's the advantage for an all-season rider like him: it's not all about the Tour.

In January, he said he wanted to one day win the five monuments, the most prestigious classics on the calendar.

He already has two in his bag with Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Tour of Lombardy.

With its ultra-complete profile, light and powerful at the same time, as comfortable in the passes as on the cobblestones, it has the means to aim for a victory in the other three: Milan-Sanremo, the Tour of Flanders and can -even be Paris-Roubaix.

Slovenian Tadej Pogacar (g) wins the Liège-Bastogne-Liège classic ahead of Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe, April 25, 2021 DIRK WAEM BELGA/AFP/Archives

Only one rider in the entire history of cycling has managed to win all five monuments and the Tour de France: Eddy Merckx.

© 2022 AFP