'They bring the best out of me' - Tadej Pogacar on rivalry with Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel ahead of Tour de France
Tadej Pogacar enters the Tour de France - the oldest and most prestigious multi-stage bicycle race - as a clear favourite. Recent form of having won the Critérium du Dauphiné boosted his credentials.
He is a three-time Tour de France winner and the defending champion of the 21 stage race that gets underway on July 5.
Pogacar has 99 professional wins going into the race in France, so will almost certainly hit his century mark during the over 3,300km race.
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26-year-old Slovenian Pogacar won six stages in the last year's edition and ran away with the overall victory.
There are considerable arguments to say the Team UAE rider is even stronger in 2025.
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Who do you think will be Tadej Pogacar's biggest rival in this year's Tour de France?
Jonas Vingegaard
Remco Evenepoel
Other riders
Pogacar will dominate without rivals
"That's why the first week is perhaps the most important first week in years. It's an opportunity for Pogacar's rivals to put him on the back foot," race general director Christian Prudhomme said.
Two of Pogcar's challengers are two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard of Visma, considered to be the Slovenian's greatest rivals, and Remco Evenepoel who represents team Soudal.
"We'd like someone to give him a run for his money, Jonas Vingegaard or Remco Evenepoel or anybody else in fact," said Prudhomme.
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"We are hoping for suspense and we'd be delighted with an all out scrap."
Pogacar labels himself a "good boy from a good family taking no shortcuts in life". He has both swagger and modesty to go with his new deal worth €50 million over the next six years.
Tadej Pogacar (Image source: SWpix.com)
TimesofIndia.com
spoke to Tadej Pogacar on his early days, what makes TdF special and the technicalities of the sport that go unnoticed.
Excerpts:
You've won the Tour de France thrice at such a young age — what initially got you into cycling, and what kept you going?
I started cycling because my older brother rode, and I wanted to do what he was doing.
I was just a kid riding around Slovenia, not thinking about the Tour de France. Over time, I fell in love with the sport. The freedom, the landscapes, the feeling of pushing your limits — that's what drew me in. Winning is great, of course, but the love for riding has always been the core. Whether it's a tough 5 hour training ride with my Team UAE Emirate teammates or an easy hour coffee ride with my fiancé Urska, I love every aspect of cycling.
Cycling is known for its physical demands, but how much of it is mental? How do you prepare your mind for a three-week race like the Tour de France?
It's very mental. The body has limits, but the mind often hits them before the legs do. I try to stay relaxed — I don't overthink too much. The key is to have a good ambiance with your teammates, joke around, listen to music. If your head is in a good place, you suffer better. It is still hard though, there is no escaping that part!
For someone new to cycling, what makes a race like the Giro d'Italia or the Tour de France so special compared to other sports events?
For a lot of people outside of cycling the Tour de France is the main race they know, but if you scratch the surface a bit you have some other races which are just as tough and as beautiful.
The Giro and the Vuelta for example, or the one-day monument races.
The Grand Tours though are extra special - it's a mix of tradition, chaos, and beauty. You're racing through history, through the Alps, past castles, fans who have been there camping and waiting for days all screaming with flags and horns. And it's not just one day — it's three weeks of drama. Anything can happen. They are some of the most beautiful events you'll see in sport.
Tadej Pogacar (Image source: SWpix.com)
How do you approach climbing stages differently from time trials or flat stages? Could you walk us through what's going through your head on a mountain finish?
In the climbing stages, it's more instinct. You're listening to your legs, the gradient, the wind. Flat stages are more about staying safe and not getting caught out with splits. In both scenarios it's important your teammates are there to work together and stay out of trouble.
Time trials — they're more precise and you are following a pacing strategy with certain watts etc. It's a lot more controlled.
Nutrition and recovery seem critical in cycling — what does a typical day of eating and recovery look like for you during a Grand Tour?
In a stage race like the Tour de France nutrition and recovery is huge and is probably the biggest advance in cycling in the past five years I would say. In the past nutrition was not taken as seriously - you only ate when you were hungry, tried to save calories and just guessed a bit based on how you were feeling.
Since I joined UAE they have hired two nutritionists and a team of chefs who are constantly monitoring the quantity and quality of food that we consume.
It's way more scientific than even 5 years ago. We burn a lot of calories so we eat a lot. Our nutrition sponsor Enervit also work hard to make easily digestible bars and gels so we can take on as much energy as we can on the bike.
Tadej Pogacar (Image source: SWpix.com)
You've had some legendary battles with riders like Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel — what makes those rivalries push you to be better?
They're both great rivals.
For the fans I think this is a nice time for watching racing, there are many great champions and the racing is exciting to watch. Racing them pushes me because I know if I'm not at my best then they will make it very difficult. They bring the best out of me — and I hope I do the same for them. It's what sport should be.
With cycling becoming increasingly team-oriented, how do you balance individual ambition with teamwork?
You don't win a Grand Tour alone, that's for sure. Even if you cross the line first, it's the team behind you — they control the race, they pull, they protect. I have ambition, of course, but my teammates are my friends, and I want us all to succeed. When they believe in me, I ride harder for them.
Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
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