Neither Pogacar nor Vingegaard, but Carlos Rodríguez. Neither the strength of the Jumbo nor the surprise capacity of the UAE, the individuality of the insolent young man. Neither the white jersey nor the yellow, the black and red. Between the double champion and the defending champion, the rookie won. The great stage of Morzine was the confirmation of the great cyclist who hides in the lion of Almuñecar. At the age of 22, the boy from Ineos, the youngest Spanish stage winner, received his doctorate in a historic day, which also allowed him to climb to the third step of the general classification.
What a debut in the French round! Double victory in the first great alpine day of this edition. Stage and podium. Carlos Rodríguez is future and present. This is how budding stars present themselves in society, fighting with the roosters from the start. Without needing acclimatization, without asking permission. Learning but being irreverent. With desire to know and with ambition. He contacted the two favorites and was not satisfied with seeing them. He was not content to be with them. He saw the opportunity and did not think about it. He took advantage of the marking between the two Tour bosses to launch himself down the Joux towards the Olympus of Morzine. He could outlast Hindley and raise his arms at the finish line.
He passes them on a curve and they don't see him anymore. Vingegaard, with the calculator, gives him permission. He has the blessing of him. If he wants to risk Pogacar, he thinks. The leader, who has already grabbed the 8 bonus seconds at the top of the Joux Plane with a surprise acceleration, is interested in the Slovenian not being able to dispute the victory and take the 10s of the prize. He passes her the hot potato. Mind game total. And the Slovenian, who has already had to stop in an attack due to a motorcycle, knows that a slip can be fatal. So they stop. Neither for you, neither for me.
And the marking is heavenly music for Rodríguez, who does not look back, but is determined to make history. In his first Tour, he already has what he dreamed of. "Is incredible. I have no words. A win in the best race in the world is something he always wanted to achieve. Thanks to the team for believing in me”, thanks the man from Granada.
He was the last one left of the two favorites, who only look at them. Pogacar attacked and opened a hole again. There Carlos Rodríguez suffered. But this time Vingegaard was eating ground little by little, he did not prime, and connected again. This new scenario in this 2023 Tour was the one that benefited the Andalusian runner, who was able to crown twenty seconds from the head of the race. “No, to be honest there I didn't think he would end up winning. He was focused on doing his best and going down as fast as possible. He wanted to take advantage of Hindley, who had stayed ”, confessed Rodríguez, who thanks to the victory and his third place at the top of the Joux Plane (bonus) is able to unseat the Australian from the podium. Even if it's for a second. Landa lost it for a second in 2017, for example.
But Vingegaard and Pogacar look at each other and he catches them on the slope of the Col du Ranfolly and leaves them on the descent. “My battle was not with them. I have taken risks in the descent and I have even been about to fall in a couple of curves ”, he recounted. Minor scares when you hit the jackpot. "I'm good at going down, since my BMX days. I'm glad my past has helped me," he says, unable to contain his smile. He's still the kid who dedicates his successes to his parents, no one else. "Now I want to enjoy this and rest," he says simply. It is the spitting image of happiness, without forgetting that tomorrow there is more. For a reason he appeared at the press conference eating and chewing, to better recover from the effort, thinking about the ports to come.
In five days, Spanish cycling has won three stages in the Tour, a full week. On Tuesday the glory went to Pello Bilbao. On Thursday Ion Izagirre triumphed. And this Saturday Carlos Rodríguez, a twenty-something, exploded in his first appearance. A boy called to great successes. For example, when Indurain won in Cauterets, in 1989, it was his fifth participation in the Tour. Iconic.
