Pogacar crushes Roglic to seal Tour de France title

LA PLANCHE DES BELLES FILLES, France — In an incredible climax to the Tour de France, Tadej Pogacar cruised past fellow Slovenian Primoz Roglic in the last stage Saturday before the finish in Paris, snatching away his race lead to all but guarantee that he will win cycling’s showpiece event in his first attempt.

One day shy of 22, Pogacar is set to become the youngest post-World War II champion. He flew on the penultimate stage, a lung-burning uphill time trial, and devoured the 57-second lead that had made Roglic look impregnable before the showdown in the mountains of eastern France.

Among others who pulled off the feat of winning at their first attempt: the great Eddy Merckx. The Belgian also won his next four Tours after his first in 1969. Given his age and breathtaking talent, Pogacar’s first also looks unlikely to be his last.

“Unbelievable, unbelievable,” Pogacar said. “My head will explode.”

In the end, it wasn’t even close. Pogacar was sensational, not only ripping the iconic race leader’s yellow jersey from Roglic, but comfortably winning the time trial. He gobbled through the 22 miles, slicing through the air in an aerodynamic tuck on a slick time-trial bike and then switching to a road bike for the sharp finishing ascent to the Planches des Belles Filles ski station.

Roglic labored in comparison, looking taut as Pogacar glided fluidly.

As Roglic ascended, what was left of his lead melted away. It then became a yawning deficit to Pogacar, who’d been second overall going into the time trial, which amply lived up to its nickname: “The race of truth.”

Roglic, 30, managed no better than fifth, a whopping 1 minute, 56 seconds slower than his younger and clearly fresher countryman. At the top, he sat slumped on the tarmac, the enormity of...