The mountains are calling, therefore we must go race up them on bicycles. Le Tour arrives in the Pyrenees. Stage 6 was what we were all waiting for: Skyfall.
The stage began innocently enough with the powerful Mads Pedersen bringing the popular vlogger Victor Campenaerts for a ride to the first sprint points. Campenaerts’ entire thought process would be to act as a satellite rider for his team leader Jonas Vingegaard. This means he would get so far ahead, by the time everyone caught up, he could launch Jonas like Ricky Bobby.
The first big climb of the day is none other than Côte de Mauvezin where the tough Australian Ben O’Connor breaks off the front and creates a lead of over a minute in his ambition lead the next climb, Col d’Aspin.
Like the Avenger’s, Team UAE Emirates-XRG assemble, and drag O’Connor in within the first 5km of the Col d’Aspin. After they kindly let Lenny Martinez and Valentin Paret-Peintre battle it out at the top of Col d’Aspin, Team UAE Emirates-XRG take over and turn up the pace enough to cut the field in half.
In a tragic series of events, the overall leader of the race, Torstein Træen, who was well behind the lead pack by now, bumped wheels with a teammate going downhill on a split back, and hit the ground hard. Heroically, he finished the stage, and made the best of it on instagram – per usual. While is abandoning the Tour this year, he provided plenty of good memories in his reign.
Like a loaded chamber, Team UAE Emirates-XRG one by one releases the hounds. From Tim Wellens, Felix Grossschartner, the American Brandon McNulty, Adam Yates, to finally Isaac del Toro, who will one day win Le Tour, each individually launch the best cyclist the world has ever seen into the misty mountains. He takes no prisoners. Tadej Pogacar’s eyes show a fire few will understand and even fewer will relate to. He slowly adds miles and minutes to Jonas Vingegaard, the second best cyclist in the world.
With a quick laugh then bow across the finish line, the cycling sky has fallen. Message received. The world champion conquers the Tourmalet. Signed, sealed, delivered, Tour over ?
