Tadej Poga\u010dar has continued his assault on cycling history with another long-range victory, this time to claim the European road race title in France.<\/p>\n
Just a week on from his 66km solo escape at the World Championships, the Slovenian superstar launched his race-winning attack from 75km to go on the 202.5km route from Privas to Guilherand-Granges in the Dr\u00f4me-Ard\u00e8che region.<\/p>\n
The absurd regularity with which the 27-year-old makes the extraordinary look routine is showing no sign of slowing.<\/p>\n
However, arguably the most extraordinary scenes took place on the side of the road, where a number of spectators engaged in an absurd charade of support, including one gentleman who exposed his buttocks at the two-time world champion as he rode past.<\/p>\n
Soon after that moment of exhibitionism, another set of fans appeared to slap stickers onto the back of Poga\u010dar as he rode past on the ascent of the C\u00f4te de Saint-Romain-de-Lerps.<\/p>\n
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It is not clear what the stickers on Tadej Poga\u010dar’s back said. (Supplied: TNT Sport)<\/p>\n
“This is weird,” commentator Jos\u00e9 Been said on TNT Sport.<\/p>\n
“Don’t do this, people. This is stupid.”<\/p>\n
Spectators have long played a role, for good and bad, in cycling road races, with riders sometimes placed in a dangerous position due to being exposed to people on the roadside.<\/p>\n
Protesters successfully interrupted several stages at the Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a this year<\/a>, while Mathieu van der Poel had a bottle thrown at him during Paris-Roubaix earlier in the season<\/a>.<\/p>\n None of the shenanigans appeared to affect Poga\u010dar too much, though, as he rode on to victory 31 seconds ahead of world time trial champion Remco Evenepoel.<\/p>\n French teenager Paul Seixas underlined why so many in France have such high hopes of the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale rider by finishing an impressive third, 3 minutes and 41 seconds back.<\/p>\n As is so often the case, Tadej Poga\u010dar’s only company on the road was a TV camera motorbike. (Getty Images: Billy Ceusters)<\/p>\n “We knew the third climb would be the hardest,” Poga\u010dar said post-race.<\/p>\n “I saw there were four or five Belgians and I was alone for the team. It was better to be on the attack than with too many guys who can attack you.”<\/p>\n So he did, landing yet another major title ahead of Belgian rival Evenepoel, with Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a winner Jonas Vingegaard ultimately failing to finish.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n