The main conclusions of the second week of the Tour of Spain 2019 – Cycling – Sports

The Tour of Spain finished its second part, this Monday, and enters the last week, after the break this Tuesday. These are the five key points the race had this week.

1. Roglic, solid. Primoz Roglic was everyone's favorite, with a second step from Colombian Miguel Ángel López. The Slovenian reached the second time trial in the general and only 6 seconds behind the leader, Nairo Quintana, but broke the stopwatch, put on the leader's shirt and from then on he began his domain. On the mountain he was the most representative artist and came out gracefully from the toughest stages. The third week will not be so complicated and Roglic has everything to adjust the first title in one of the big three.

2. Podium fought. Alejandro Valverde, Tadej Pogacar and Miguel Ángel López engaged in a fight for the two drawers of the podium, for the crumbs left by Roglic. Valverde looks strong, despite his 39 years is a solid runner and he looks forward to finishing second. Pogacar, only 20 years old, is the revelation of the race. The Slovenian is third, the mountain and his pieces took him there, and it seems difficult to release that position and the shirt of a better young man. Lopez did not respond on the mountain, his terrain, and is fourth, but will continue in the fight.

3. Lopez fights. Miguel Ángel López was one of the favorites, but he had to fight for third place. His forces gave no more. His physical ability played badly and he paid dearly in the mountains. He lost 2 minutes in the time trial last Tuesday with Roglic, normal time, and was ready to fight, but on the mountain he lost everything and now he has to fight with Pogacar on the podium and the best young man, a fight in which he did not It looks like a winner.

4. Nairo, in his own. Nairo Quintana arrived with a copy of winning the Tour. He was not a clear favorite, because his background, his results in the last two years have not been the best. It is sixth and now the race from here on is 'reassuring', there are no hard days of mountain, which was his ally and became his main enemy. Change equipment During the Tour it was announced that he is going to Arkea and now he has to wait how he is doing with another currency.

5. The tour. Although the last week of competition is missing, there is much talk about the layout of this edition in the Tour of Spain. The first two weeks have had the majority of arrivals high, so the final part loses expectation. Roglic is assured of the title, not only because of the difference he maintains over his rivals, because of the excellent way he is, but also because the hard stages have passed and there is only a climax that is not so difficult and the Jumbo Visma, squad from Slovenian, you can control.

Lisandro Rengifo
EL Tiempo editor
@lisandroabel