Countdown to the Tour de France: 8 Days | Pogacar Breaks Roglic’s Heart in 2020
As the 2025 Tour de France looms just eight days away, memories of one of the most dramatic moments in recent cycling history still echo through the sport — Tadej Pogačar’s astonishing upset of Primož Roglič on the penultimate stage of the 2020 Tour.
For nearly three weeks, Roglič looked destined to wear the yellow jersey into Paris. Backed by a powerful Jumbo-Visma team, he had ridden a disciplined, strategic race, defending his lead with composure and strength. The individual time trial on Stage 20, from Lure to La Planche des Belles Filles, was expected to be a formality — a final step to secure his first Tour title.
Instead, it became a turning point in cycling folklore.
Pogačar, just 21 years old and riding his debut Tour for UAE Team Emirates, produced one of the most astonishing performances the sport has seen. He demolished the field, gaining 1 minute and 56 seconds on Roglič and seizing the yellow jersey at the last possible moment. The stunned expression on Roglič’s face as he crossed the line told the entire story: heartbreak, disbelief, and the agony of a dream slipping away.
That day, cycling witnessed the birth of a new star — and the cruelty of the sport in its rawest form. Roglič, ever the sportsman, accepted defeat with grace, but the pain of that loss has lingered. As the 2025 edition approaches, both riders remain key contenders, though their paths have diverged.
Pogačar has since become a Tour titan. Roglič, after years of chasing redemption, now eyes another chance to rewrite his Tour legacy. Eight days remain — and perhaps another twist awaits.
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