Tadej Pogacar Strengthens Lead in Tour de France
Pogacar Reflects on Evolution in Cycling and Upcoming Challenges
Tadej Pogacar, the Slovenian cycling sensation, has solidified his lead in the Tour de France, gaining more than three minutes over his rival, Jonas Vingegaard, in the last two days. The yellow jersey holder won the last two stages before a rest day, positioning himself as the rider to beat in the final week of racing. Pogacar held a press conference from Gruissan (Aude), where he shared insights into his performance and the evolution of the sport.
Reflecting on his rest day, Pogacar said, 'It went well! We took a little tour earlier with the guys. We made a quick stop at the bakery. Don't tell my nutritionist but I ate one of the best brownies of my life. So yeah, it was a good day. For now, everything is okay. I hope we finish this press conference quickly so I can go rest in my room and watch some movies!'
Discussing Vingegaard's performance, Pogacar remarked, 'Yesterday, we all witnessed one of the best performances in a climb. Even me, when I saw the numbers, it was pretty crazy, especially the part where Jorgenson and Vingegaard were up front. Those were the biggest numbers I've done in my career. We see that Jonas came well prepared for victory. They hit hard and ran very well. It was a great step.'
Pogacar also highlighted the rapid advancements in cycling technology and nutrition over the past six years. 'Cycling is evolving so much. Six years ago, when I arrived in this team, everything was different. It was almost amateurism. We have progressed very quickly because all the teams are pushing themselves to the top, whether in terms of technology, nutrition, training... We are fighting to reach new limits and yesterday, we saw the biggest rise. quick story. And I think we should expect to see that every year,' he said.
Looking ahead to the final week of racing, Pogacar expressed confidence in his team's strategy. 'There is one week of racing left with three mountain stages. How do you see Visma trying to make up time on you? I don't know, I think they will choose a particular step. In any case, we will try to do our own race to try to defend this place in the general so that they don't try anything crazy. So we have to be confident in telling ourselves that we can stay at our speed, climbing with as many riders as possible. Of course they will try! Jonas said he won't give up the fight and he's right. It will be a very tough last week, there will be fireworks everywhere.'
Pogacar also shared his thoughts on the upcoming stages, 'I love the Col de la Bonnette which I climbed for the first time in August. I like these kinds of passes in the Alps, with long descents. Isola 2000 is also a great climb, similar to the Plateau de Beille. We prepared for the Tour there. And Saturday will be my home stop. I train a lot on these passes, I know them really well.'
Regarding potential health concerns, Pogacar stated, 'I am not afraid. If I can avoid getting sick that’s obviously better. There's a lot of Covid in the pack right now and other viruses hanging around. ASO (the organizer of the Tour de France) provided masks during the protocol but it is not easy to protect yourself on the climbs with an audience so close. Most of the riders are sick like I was before the Tour (Covid), with mild symptoms. I was a little woozy for a couple of days but nothing crazy. On the other hand, if a runner has a fever, it is probably better for him to stop.'
