Pogacar's last bullet in the place where someone shouted: "assassins!"

• Stage 17 Bittersweet victory for Pogacar in Peyragudes

• Classifications This is the general

• Movistar's bewilderment tour

Exhausted, empty, sweaty, lying on his back on the asphalt of the Peyragudes-Balestas aerodrome,

only looked at the sky over the Pyrenees.

As if he were sounding the clouds in search of the movement that changes everything, of his own boasting or the weakness of others.

Aware that he only has one bullet left in his chamber and that the grace shot must be in this mountain range where legends were written.

Kill or die.

The biggest challenge of his still early career in just 143.2 kilometers.

In Peyragudes he did not succeed, but he drives away his own frustration as if he were speaking to himself: «Every day I am more motivated.

I am optimistic!".

In contrast,

responds under the mask as he chews, smugly, just as he pedals.

He no longer fears.

He has cleared away the fear of feeling without a net, without companions, in the hand-in-hand of someone who wants to wake him up from a dream.

«I have not felt in trouble, despite having been isolated at some point.

It was a difficult stage and I only lost four seconds.

I was ready for battle », he confirms.

Anne-Christine Poujoulat / POOLEFE

He has survived and feels full of confidence.

Just one more day without forgetfulness, without his strength leaving him, but what a day.

The Col d'Aubisque, where

shouted "murderers!"

to the organizers when they included it in the route for the first time, in 1910, the unprecedented Spandelles (10.3 kilometers at 8.3%), the passage through Soulor and, finally, the last uphill finish, Hautacam, where for fifth time he will finish a stage of the Tour, where he can feel like a winner if he endures again -"it's the only thing I have to do", he self-motivates-, another Dane like

26 years ago.

He even has the cushion of the stopwatch, a minute could be enough for him not to suffer in the 40 kilometers solo in Rocamadour on Saturday.

And this time, on notice, he intends not to lose the tactical battle with the UAE, that his Jumbos carry him on the wing again.

in search of olympus

It is the duality that triggers the expectations of this Tour for the memory.

The scenario dreamed of by the scriptwriters this Thursday with departure in Lourdes, city of miracles.

A wild cyclist willing even to suicide: Pogacar does not care to be second or third.

That is, a last attack in which you scratch for a few seconds or the bonus is no longer enough.

Tadej is chasing Olympus, the third running Tour, the most difficult yet this time.

And for this he must blow up his Nemesis or blow himself up, from afar.

"Only what is forbidden arouses desire,"

wrote .

And this

where his demarrajes have no effect, where Vingegaard's spell cancels his magic, it seems vetoed for the Slovenian.

“I also expected that there would be more attacks.

Still, it's been a good day.

I have given everything because I wanted to add this victory to the team.

We have moved perfectly and tomorrow we will try different tactics.

I think I can win the race.

It's a tough day and we're going to try again », he pronounces with the same unshakable faith in his powers as always.

Because although on Wednesday there was only one whiplash and almost starting the descent of Val Louron-Azet, unlike the riot of the previous days, in Pogacar's mind the optimistic scenario is always drawn.

If he had not responded to all the attacks on the way to Granon, if he had fed correctly that day so as not to faint, if the terrain had been harder later... If

, his great confidant, or

had been there , your climber.

"They would have made the race even harder," he surmises.

And he concludes, thinking about the three ports in which his destiny is at stake this Thursday: «The harder, the better.

We'll see if [Vingegaard] has any weaknesses."

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