If there is one rider entering the Tour de France with confidence it will certainly be Tadej Pogacar. This season he has virtually been unbeatable and despite having raced the Giro d’Italia, most argue that he enters the Grand Boucle as the main favourite to win the yellow jersey… Something he hasn’t done since 2021.
Pogacar every year takes a different approach to his spring calendar and, after winning the Tour de Flanders last year, he has decided to forego the cobbled classics this year. He started his season at Strade Bianche, taking a 81-kilometer solo victory with no direct competition. He was then third at Milano-Sanremo after being the main offensive force on the Poggio. What followed was the Volta a Catalunya where he won all three mountain stages (plus the last day in Barcelona) and the overall classification with comfort.
We have also taken a look at what you think Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel respectively will be able to achieve at the Tour.
After taking a bit of rest and going on an altitude camp, he returned to racing at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, taking another comfortable win. There he attacked with 34 kilometers to go and also won with ease. Hence, the expectation for the Giro d’Italia was exactly that, also taking into consideration the modest startlist in terms of climbers.
Pogacar won no less than six stages at the Corsa Rosa, was without a shadow of a doubt the strongest climber in the race – winning the GC with 9:56 minutes over Daniel Martínez – and wore the pink jersey after stage 2 all the way into Rome. This was a race where he was even able to take a few stages more conservatively, due to the sheer amount of comfort he had against his rivals. This, of course, looking to already save a little bit of energy as the Tour de France was already in plan.
After leaving Italy, Pogacar celebrated his triumph and then made the trip to Sierra Nevada, Spain, where he is undertaking a three-week altitude camp. Like Jonas Vingegaard, both rivals are expected to go into the Tour without recent competition and only on the base of their training – but this time around, Pogacar coming in without injuries or mishaps.
He has another trick up his sleeve however which is the immensely strong UAE Team Emirates that is set to back him up, featuring Adam Yates and João Almeida who are obliterating the Tour de Suisse… Juan Ayuso crashed out of the Criterium du Dauphiné however he is also expected to play a role in this mission; whilst experienced classics riders such as Tim Wellens and Nils Politt will be guiding him throughout the most technical stages.
