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Crikey. What’ve you got against Pog?!
The race leader is there to be challenged. The stages are there to be won.
snoops-
The race leader is there to be challenged. The stages are there to be won.
On the final stage the race leader isn't supposed to be challenged though, and the stage win is for a breakaway rider or the sprinters. That convention might be wrong, but that's the convention.
I don't actually hate Pog but he does annoy me sometimes!
Fox
Sometimes, yes. Vingo and JV worked hard to get an impressive seven and a half minute gap on Pog, he was the stronger rider, their tactics were better and I'm sure the support he received from JV as a team way outgunned what UAE can deliver.
Obviously JV's lead was so massive there was no way any attack by Pog was going to make any difference by then. So actually if I genuinely thought Pog was going for the stage I'd be fine with that, in fact I would have enjoyed it. But he had two pops at the front early on, reappeared there briefly then was never seen again. I don't think for a second he had the legs, and I'd be surprised if UAE asked him to get TV time.
It seemed to be more about showing he wasn't defeated or something, when he had been, roundly. I feel like he should have accepted that with good grace, not pointlessly wasted energy by riding off the front showing how good he felt. It felt like showboating to me. But maybe you're right and he genuinely thought he could do it.