The monument to the cow pasiega presides over the summit of Los Machucos and to its encounter all those who pass by come to take pictures with her, as if she were a star of the platoon. Beside him, there are two that were, Óscar Freire and Óscar Pereiro, also sued by the fans, although less than the cow, unbeatable in that field. The two cyclists arrive at the finish area accompanied by the president of Cantabria, Miguel Ángel Revilla, who enjoys as a preschool child and leads them to the area where the organization invites cheese, sobaos and quesada. "And I have brought this from my house," Revilla says at one point, who draws on a plastic bag and from it he takes sliced ​​Iberian ham that he deposits on a plate while explaining to his companions that the cows in the area they are of meat and not of milk, that those of milk would die in such hostile land.

Revilla is in his sauce, as Athletic managers had been a few hours before at the start of the stage in San Mamés, an idea of ​​Mikel Martínez, vice president of the Bilbao club and official doctor (one of them) of La Vuelta, who Javier Guillén excited. Cyclists are fond of the stroll through the stadium, empty except for journalists and VIPs, and while the Biscaynes Fraile, Bizkarra and Lastra head the pack dressed in personalized Athletic jerseys, Theuns stops to throw a penalty in a goal. And on the other, after seeing the Belgian in action, Latour raises the bet and places Archbold as goalkeeper to execute the pitch. There was no ball or goals, but what else.

About 500 meters from San Mamés, the day before, Roglic and Pogacar had almost reached each other's arms, smiling, full harmony between the Slovenian who longs for La Vuelta and the one who lives in a cloud on his first big lap. Innocent gestures that in the impossible ramps of Los Machucos resulted in an alliance of blood and fire that devastated everything. The Tour that seemed Colombian is already Slovenian, with Roglic more leader and Pogacar third, threatening Valverde and with two victories in the bag.

"The two queen stages!"

"And what victories! The two queen stages!" Says Matxin, its director, whose smile invades the entire valley because his diamond is the brightest, and although he does not want to put more pressure, "we go day by day" , he sees him on the podium in Madrid, with just 20 years, a child bending adults. It was not even planned for Pogacar to line up in this Tour, but so outstanding was his spring that Matxin thought why not, that if he had won in Algarve and California ("and he did not do it in Slovenia because he won his partner Ulissi", he points out the director of the UAE), maybe I could stand out in La Vuelta.

There is no stronger than Pogacar in this Tour, although there is one at his level. Roglic, of course. The iron leader, the one who yells wildly at Valverde, López and Quintana that not only will they not cut him for a single second, but when they reach the finish line he will take a while there, consolidating his leadership, at the wheel of Pogacar, with which the understanding is full because one thinks of the general, the other in the stage and because the two are compatriots.

One by one

Pure cold blood, Roglic did not flinch when Quintana launched the first attack. He let Astana do the job, as he had been doing throughout the day to neutralize the escape, thinking of the closing of a Lopez that could not meet expectations. Because when Nairo returned to the group of the best, Roglic stood in front of him and busted them one by one, feeding on the smell of clutch that invaded the entire ascent.

First he cut to 'Superman', completely stunned, then to Quintana and finally to Valverde, who can only give in to the power of the Slovenian duo. Together they reach Latour, who survives the escape by hitting the pedals as The Machucos beat him, and surpass him to reach glory. Pogacar his stage, Roglic his dictatorship, all happy. Revilla also.

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