There are two Itzulias.

One is run by

Tadej Pogacar

and

Primoz Roglic

and the other by everyone else.

It may be the Tour of the Basque Country, but in reality this is the Tour of the Slovenes, who are measured, controlled, challenged, attacked, even stopped without caring that they are going to lose the difference acquired by the rest, because They know that they will be able to get it back when they feel like it.

It is a hand in hand with extras around him.

And if the first blow was offered by Roglic, with his authoritarian victory in the Bilbao time trial, now it is Pogacar who has a stage in his face.

They reach the finish line together, but it is the young man who raises his arms and takes both the victory and the extra bonus prize.

It's not a big deal, just four seconds, but it serves to intimidate the veteran leader, already second overall, and reminds him of old ghosts from the past Tour.

Roglic's rent is now only 20 seconds

and there is still ground in this Itzulia to recover them, either on Thursday on the way to Hondarribia (difficult) or in the final stage on Saturday with the classic arrival at the Sanctuary of Arrate (more feasible).

Behind, men like

McNulty

,

Adam Yates

,

Valverde

and

Landa

already know that they will have to settle for trying to occupy the third box of the podium.

It was something that perhaps they already sensed before this third day of Itzulia, but that now they have more than clear.

All the chicha of the stage was concentrated in the final three kilometers of ascent to Ermualde (or Santa Lucía, as it is better known in the area in Llodio and surroundings) after a stage that covered the western half of Álava.

The day, although with quite a few steep slopes, was quite affordable until then, with an escape that came alive until the final 15 kilometers and the small aperitif of Malkuartu, three kilometers at a 6% slope, about 20 from the finish line.

At that point, it was

Michael Woods'

Israel

who picked up the pace, thinking of a very propitious arrival for their leader.

I was working in vain, as the Canadian

crashed

alongside

Kelderman

before the final climb and the entire strategy of the team was ruined.

The race was left without a reference block in front and that was taken advantage of by

Carapaz

, who has not come to Itzulia to compete for the final victory but to get ready for the Tour, to seek glory alone.

Challenge

The Ecuadorian's attempt was exhausted when Pogacar decided that it was his moment.

On some infernal ramps, of up to 20%, with long stretches that exceeded 15% on average, the UAE runner detached himself from the peloton.

Roglic, unfazed by previous timid attempts by other riders, immediately jumped onto his wheel, offering the feeling that he did it with the utmost ease, as if it didn't cost him the slightest effort.

Neither to Pogacar, of course.

They walked together but did not trust each other.

They lowered the piston for a few meters and were caught by Landa, Yates,

Gaudu

and

Knox

.

And then, again, Pogacar dropped his stake, the yellow-clad limpet bolted to his right wheel.

New neutralization, now with Valverde replacing Knox in the fourth pursuer.

And it was then, with less than a kilometer to go, that Roglic decided it was okay to play along with his young compatriot.

The leader's blow was tremendous.

Valverde tried to follow him, but it took him just half a dozen pedal strokes to realize that it was impossible to advance at that infernal pace.

Pogacar could and did.

They crowned together and challenged each other in the 500 meters of descent towards the finish line.

There, in the final fireworks, where strength and positioning are no longer worth as much, Pogacar knew how to enter the last corner from the front and Roglic could no longer overcome it.

The leader of the Jumbo continues, but now with the certainty that his old ghosts are still there to haunt him until the final goal of Arrate.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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