(Reuters) – Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar retained his Tirreno-Adriatico title when he finished the final stage safely in the bunch to cap a dominant week on Sunday.
The Slovenian appeared to be in a league of his own as he won the two mountain stages to end the week-long race one minute 52 seconds ahead of last year’s Tour runner-up Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark.
Spain’s Mikel Landa finished third overall, 2:33 off the pace, after the final stage was won in a sprint by German Phil Bauhaus in San Benedetto del Tronto.
Pogacar, 23, secured his two stage victories by getting away from his rivals with impressive ease, leaving them with little hope of clinching the overall title.
Pogacar, who will be looking to win the Tour for a third consecutive year in July, had already won the other two events he took part in this season — the UAE Tour and the Strade Bianche classic race.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Clare Fallon)