Cycling fans witnessed some magical displays of athleticism in the recently concluded Tour de France Saitama Criterium 2023. Making a debut at any race is a monumental occasion and also poses some daunting demands. The nerves of arriving at a new arena to race would have certainly played a part, but Tadej Pogačar had other things in mind.

The Slovenian cyclist capped off the season with a brilliant finish in his debut, the Saitama Criterium race, and bagged a victory ahead of Sepp Kuss, in what was his last race in the white jersey. Tadej Pogačar will age out of the best young rider’s classification in 2024. His record-breaking season of 17 wins, which includes two Tour Stage wins back in July, is what dreams are made of.

Tadej Pogačar out paces Sepp Kuss in a sprint finish

It was the ninth edition of the edition of the Tour de France Saitama Criterium and tens of thousands of fans graced their presence in what was a riveting race. The race had many nervy moments, and the pendulum kept swinging in different directions.

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With just 7km to go in the race, it was a battle to finish between Peter Sagan, Tadej Pogačar, and Jumbo Visma’s Sepp Kuss. The tension rose with every kilometre being crossed and things were heating up for a thrilling finish. With just 2.5km to go, Kuss chose the attacking route, fearing that a sprint would put him at a disadvantage.

Peter Sagan was no match for his attacking strategy, but the debutant had different plans in store. The ultimate moments of the race all boiled down to a 350m sprint between the two. There was no stopping Pogačar in the kind of form he was in. Kuss was just no match for his speed in the long drag before the finish line.

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A wonderful end to a spectacular season

The world number one showed everyone why he currently hosts the top of the ranking. His final sprint dash against Kuss around sunset capped off what has been an incredible season. He could not contain his excitement after emerging victorious in what was his debut Saitama Criterium Race.

Expressing his utter delight, the cyclist said, “I’m super happy to be here first. To be invited and to experience this amazing atmosphere.” Talking about his victory, the Slovenian athlete added, “To win in front of this crowd is something that I will never forget. Today I tried to save my legs for one big attack on the climb and Sepp was there. It was perfect, he was super strong today, and we went clear. We had to catch Peter also, but he was tired because he had been active all day. I waited for my one and only chance.”

The 2023 season was nothing short of remarkable for Tadej Pogačar. He returned to action in the Tour de France after he fractured his wrist, winning II Lombardia three times in a row and becoming just the third person to do so. He grabbed a win in his debut Saitama race and a second-place finish in the Tour de France. The fire in him burns brighter than ever, and as he said, this is only the beginning!

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