For true legend of the sport and to become truly immortal he "needs" to add:
- at least one more monument other than LBL (he can check that one on Saturday
)
- Giro GC
- TDF GC
Bonus:
Redemption wins:
- Paris-Nice GC (how he lost already in the bag and 99% closed zipper but somehow lost the race this year)
- Critérium du Dauphiné GC (he was head and shoulders above others and was winning 2020 edition, only to crashe because of mechanical, which might cost him also TDF win later)
One can only dream he will put them all in his palmares. But he is a man on his own path with his highs and lows. No matter what happens, he showed us time after time he is a true fighter.
- Hardest crash of his career in stage 4 in Dauphine 2020, he gets back on bike and finish the stage (90% others would abandon).
- He looses TDF in we all know what way, but he doesn't cry and shy away. He needed 15s to compose himself and first thing he does is congratulate the winner. One week later he is fighting in Imola for his country and comes 6th. 2 weeks after defeat of his live, he wins LBL.
- Wins 4 stages in Paris-Nice and has GC in the bag. Crashes two times in the last stage, all the peloton is riding against him, he is alone, but he is going full gas (almost crashes again). Everyone knows he lost GC, he knows it, but he still pushed to the finish line. Again he gives himself 15s to compose and he is already congratulating the winner. After the race he doesn't whine and cry, but admit it was his fault and is already looking ahead. 2 weeks later he goes head2head with his biggest rival and wins Basque Country in spectacular fashion.
- His 2021 season is build around TDF and his ultimate goal. He wants it bad. Doesn't race for 2 months, only to be 100% prepared for it. He is looking good, fighting with his rival Pogacar, bam stage 3 he is bodychecked by another rider and crashes badly. But he is still there to fight even tho he knows his dream of winning is gone. His medical team needs 2 hours to prepare him each day so he can start. Half of his body is covered in bandages (he called himself a mummy), but he still fought and even comes top 10 in TT. But it was too much, he was out of the race. 3 weeks after he goes and wins gold in OG TT. 1 week before he didn't know if he could even go to Tokyo, after disappointing OG RR he was asking teammates if some of them will ride TT instead of him.
Just some recent events of his to show who he is. Some people don't like him, they say he rides defensively (because yes, you win 60 races by riding defensively, you know) and is boring with his answers to media. And they might be right. But no one, even the ultimate, most passionet haters, can't negate one thing about him, that he is a FIGHTER.
So will he become or is a legend? I don't know, but I know one thing. He won't go out without a fight.
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