ORnot one of the great inducements at the starting line of each Tour de France is all about the colors. Teams that debut sponsorship or design and, of course, the national champions. They change and each country debuts its referent by embodying the flag on their jerseys. Those of 2023 only show that the stars are stars every day of the year, from January to December, and Tadej Pogacar, the cyclist of the season, or Remco Evenepoel, who in addition to his rainbow jersey defendingin case of not revalidating the World Cup in Glasgow, the colors of their nation.
Pogacar is the cycling man of the year. The MVP of the season has 14 victories just before storming the Tour and arriving at the start of Bilbao launched despite his injury in Liège. He signed the double in the Slovenian National, sweeping the time trial (five minutes to the second) and dominating the route. “I was nervous before each race, but I am very happy not to have problems. The form is solid and the mental condition is great,” he explained.
I am very happy with the physical shape and mental condition
Remco Evenepoel continues his revenge operation after leaving the Giro through the back door. Blast the race from almost 30 to metAnd despite the fact that the very young Alec Segaert (2003) arrived at his wheel, he did not hesitate in the final sprint. Shot of 10, another victory, the eighth of the course and if he loses the Glasgow World Cup, he will wear the most beautiful national champion jersey: the Belgian one. “What a special feeling to be a Belgian champion with the rainbow,” he said.
Evenepoel wins the national: that’s how Belgian TV told it
In the Netherlands, another of the protagonists of the course, Mathieu Van der Poel launched the race about 22 from the finish line. But Jumbo-Visma exercised his favoritism in the National, managing the end between Dylan Van Baarle and his movement, and the ‘brake’ provided by Olav Kooij -faster than ‘MVDP’- so as not to wear himself out in the hunt. The former from Ineos wear the badge, while Van der Poel was only bronze.
Crazy surprises in France and Italy
Traditionally, two always competitive nationals are that of France and Italy. They ended with relative surprises, in races as hard as they were crazy. Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ) wearing the precious French tricolor after destroying the race on the Cassel hill. Arranc and Molard and Gaudu, fellow members of the structure, also to look for a triplet for the structure of Marc Madiot. Finally, Bernard (Trek) snuck into the podium.
In Italy a group arrived with more figures, in which Simone Velasco (Astana) gave the bell. Sprint close to the fences and only opened up at the end to be the third cyclist from the Kazakh team, after Vincenzo Nibali and Fabio Aru, who will wear the Italian tricolor for the team from the ‘white city’.
In addition to the great nations, other cyclists who will wear the colors of their flag are the promising Ben Healy (Ireland), Fred Wright (Great Britain) or Mattias Skjelmose (Denmark), or regulars like Fredrik Dversnes (Norway), Emmanuel Buchmann (Germany), Marc Hirschi (Switzerland), Ivo Oliveira (Portugal), Gregor Muhlberger (Austria) )… and, of course, Oier Lazkano with the rojigualda from Spain.
