Tadej Pogacar Wins 2024 Tour Of Catalonia After Fourth Stage Victory
Tadej Pogacar Wins 2024 Tour Of Catalonia After Fourth Stage Victory
Tadej Pogacar sprinted to an impressive fourth stage victory of the week and sealed his 2024 Tour of Catalonia triumph Sunday.
Tadej Pogacar sprinted to an impressive fourth stage victory of the week and sealed his 2024 Tour of Catalonia triumph Sunday.
The Slovenian two-time Tour de France champion edged a chaotic sprint to take Stage 7, adding to his Stage 2, 3 and 6 triumphs, blowing away his general classification competition.
Pogacar emerged ahead of French duo Dorian Godon and Guillaume Martin, second and third respectively, in a frenzied finish to the 143.5-kilometer stage, which started and finished in Barcelona.
"I'm so happy to take the win -- it wasn't the original plan," Pogacar said.
Pogacar's UAE teammate, Joao Almeida, had a move shut down in the final kilometers, but Pogacar snatched victory.
"Joao Almeida set a good pace on the climb and we were a small group in the front," Pogacar added. "He made a good attack on the last small climb and almost came to the finish. I wish he could arrive, but I'm happy to take this win, too."
The UAE Team Emirates rider won the race by 3 minutes, 41 seconds from Spaniard Mikel Landa, with Egan Bernal third, a full 5 minutes and 3 seconds behind Pogacar.
The 25-year-old carved out a big lead on the second stage, and nobody threatened to depose him for the rest of the week.
Pogacar is aiming for an ambitious Giro-Tour double in 2024, hoping to become the first man to win both since Marco Pantani in 1998.