NSomeone died prettier than a swan. Except for Richard Karapas. The 28-year-old professional cyclist from Tulcan, Ecuador, as a performer in the final stage of the 17th stage of the most difficult Tour de France, provided the audience with something that almost exceeded his achievements as an athlete , And this is not the point. Stage 17 is one of those unreasonable requirements that only the route planners of the great tour can think of. In the Tour of Italy and Spain, and of course the Tour de France, its myth is attributed to this suspicious feeling.
In any case, this stage is a perfect example of extreme mountain testing. It is more than 178.4 kilometers from Muret to Col du Portet in the Pyrenees. The resistance starts at 120 kilometers of Col de Peyresourde, a classic first-level Pyrenees climb with a total length of 13.2 kilometers and an average slope of 7%.
Carapaz is still riding a bike full of energy, in a happy mood, and happy with his racing life. Because his team, the Ineos grenadier from England, has been successfully spoiled for many years and has not won once in the past 16 stages (which is more painful than losing the football final), his task is Ming: He must win at this stage anyway. He should be able to rank fourth overall. On the second mountain, Col de Val Louron-Azet, which is 7.4 kilometers long and has an average steepness of 8.3%, the overall profile of Carapaz is still very good. A man determined to do anything, strong and fast, with great support from his team, they took him up this slope like the king of the upcoming mountain so that he can complete his third ascent. jobs.
Mo. -Priest at 4 pm; Sa. – and so.18:00
This time at the summit, Col du Portet is not an ordinary mountain, but a stone monster. The uphill is 16 kilometers with an average gradient of 8.7%.It’s just within your expectations of a professional cyclist, it’s stupid Tadje Pogkar Compete with it. Then the last spark of fun quickly disappeared in the ditch.
The man in yellow has a different relationship with the mountain somehow. No matter how steep they were, he easily drove them up at an absurdly high speed. When he started from 8 kilometers from the summit, leaving most of the participants in a state of extreme despair, he found that there were only two drivers on the rear wheel: the young Dane Jonas Vingegaard-and Richard Carapaz. Ecuadorians are now dying very slowly and dying painfully. The other two were working in the front row, sometimes trying to drive away, Karapas twisted his face in pain, obviously miserable, and only used the last bit of strength. You wanted to call the ambulance to come over and provide oxygen, but it just kept going. Even the TV commentator, who was not pitiful, was worried for him. poor guy. At the end of his rope.
No one died more beautifully than a swan. Except for Richard Karapas. Right on the top of the mountain, about 2200 meters above sea level, just before the finish line, the Ecuadorian suddenly came to life. Almost escaped, he shot Bogaka and Wengard with a powerful acceleration. All this is just bluffing. It’s a pity to travel.
All grimacing faces are useless. Pogacar first countered the beginning of his acting talent, and then counterattacked his entire performance equally dryly. Of course, he said, he knew that Carapaz was bluffing. So does he need to practice, Ecuadorian. Whether it is mountain driving or acting. Mountain driving may be a better choice. By the way, Karapas in Ecuador did not invent the swan trick.
It is as old as cycling itself.All Texans have one of the best performances Lance Armstrong Carapaz may use it as a model. Ironically, Armstrong, a man who wears an iron mask and usually never pulls his face, gave the dead swan on his tour in 2001. In the process of climbing Col de la Madeleine, he fell back to the end of the leading group, sweating profusely, painful, and his face distorted. The easily deceived Jan Ulrich let his assistants run fast and thought he was the winner on the finish line, but when the final was on the ramp to Alpe d’Huez, Armstrong used his usual The freshness is driven away.
