In the final 5 kilometers of the Tourmalet (climbing at 8.8% gradient), from the moment he launched his attack, Pogacar developed an average power of 493 watts for 13 minutes and 18 seconds. Relative to a weight of approximately 67 kg, this reaches the astounding figure of 7.3 watts per kg. Among the notes in today's newspapers, the numbers enthusiast Cosimo Cito of Repubblica delves into the details of Pogi's power output. "The numbers of dominance," to borrow the headline. And to think that the world champion had confessed: "Everyone in the group felt fatigue after the Tourmalet and this applies to me as well." Perhaps.

Gazzetta dello Sport reveals the plans at the Emirati headquarters and here the subtitle of Ciro Scognamiglio's article comes to the rescue: "Not just Pogacar, with Del Toro the plan for the double is born". First and second place? Mauro Gianetti is thinking about it. Marco Bonarrigo on the Corriere seems like an activist for the protection of sprinters, like a panda from the WWF, yet after that "sprinter in extinction, now the Tour is a battle of calculations" the writer has evidently grown bored (many of us with him): "After a thousand kilometers of suffering, the day of the sprinters has arrived at the Tour: honestly we didn't miss it."

In the front-page callout, L'Equipe has an easy time—they're in Bordeaux—evoking prestigious labels: "Merlier, vintage of tradition". Inside, Alexandre Roos talks about the Tour and brings the reader to the pétanque court, cleverly spending a comparison between the race and certain challenges where players squabble over measuring the balls. Yet: "Here they don't play on millimeters—quite the opposite—neither in sprints nor elsewhere; and certainly not in the fight for the general classification".

GAZZETTA DELLO SPORT
THE DREAM COUPLE
The priority of Tadej Pogacar—and his UAE-XRG—remains to win the Tour de France for the fifth time, like the legends Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain. That of Isaac Del Toro—currently wearing the white jersey as best young rider—is to help his friend and captain in the endeavor. But now that a third of the Boucle is in the books—yesterday in Bordeaux Tim Merlier won in a sprint—with number one firmly at the top, and the heir apparent third at 3'27", a suggestion (for now) not insignificant is taking shape for the Emirati team of principal Mauro Gianetti: the double. Pogi first, Del Toro second in Paris. Simple? No, quite the opposite. But neither impossible... (Ciro Scognamiglio)

CORRIERE DELLA SERA
SPRINTER IN EXTINCTION, NOW THE TOUR IS A BATTLE OF CALCULATIONS
After a thousand kilometers of suffering, the day of the sprinters has arrived at the Tour: honestly we didn't miss it. We can't fathom how just a few years ago we accepted hours of procession lulling us to sleep in the (beautiful, mind you) French countryside with the director rummaging through vineyards and sunflower fields and commentators stifling yawns. When the two fugitives of the day (those Veistrøffer and Otruba) were caught, the head of the group had a moment of embarrassment: do we start pulling hard or do we tempo? (Marco Bonarrigo)

REPUBBLICA
POGACAR, THE NUMBERS OF DOMINANCE
Bordeaux has always been the world capital of sprinting and the seventh stage of the Tour was no exception to this logic. Belgian Tim Merlier won, despite a slight deviation from the ideal line in the final 200 meters, where instead the energy of Jasper Philipsen faded, abandoned too early by his lead-out man Van der Poel. Pogacar didn't have to suffer and brought his yellow jersey number 57 in his career to the finish line. "Everyone in the group felt fatigue after the Tourmalet and this applies to me as well." (Cosimo Cito)

L'EQUIPE
WITHOUT APPEAL
One certainly cannot say that this Tour de France has so far resembled a game of pétanque in the shade of trees, one of those where players bicker in bad faith before finally pulling out the meter to establish which ball is closest. Here they don't play on millimeters—quite the opposite—neither in sprints nor elsewhere; and certainly not in the fight for the general classification, which Tadej Pogačar shook hard on Thursday on the Tourmalet. The strongest riders are crushing the competition: the Slovenian clearly dropped Jonas Vingegaard near Gavarnie, Mads Pedersen shattered the breakaway in the frantic finale at Foix on Tuesday, and the next day, Olav Kooij outclassed the other sprinters in their first direct confrontation at Pau. (Alexandre Roos)