Tadej Pogačar remained in the overall lead of the Vuelta a España for a second straight stage on Sunday, but the UAE Team Emirates-XRG racer explained afterwards that it was more by accident than by design.
It was true that Pogačar had been quick to follow Wout Van Aert when the Belgian shot off the front on the hilly finale into Manosque. After all, the Visma-Lease a Bike racer had made no secret before the stage that a second spell in red after his first week Vuelta lead of two years ago would definitely have been to his liking, so it looked like Pogačar was intent on defending the lead.
