UAE Team Emirates-XRG administration has made it clear that, whereas they’re effectively conscious that Tadej Pogačar‘s prime stage racing rivals are always elevating their video games, their confidence within the Slovenian star to deal with all challenges, together with the fast-looming Critérium du Dauphiné and Tour de France, stays greater than intact, too.
Pogačar is about to cross swords with each Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) and Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) within the upcoming Dauphiné, extensively seen because the gown rehearsal for the Tour, which begins on Sunday.
Will probably be the primary time Pogačar has competed in opposition to Vingegaard and Evenepoel in a stage race for the reason that Tour final 12 months, and likewise marks his return to competitors after conquering Liège-Bastogne-Liège for a third time again in late April. He final took half within the Dauphiné again in 2020, ending fourth total previous to successful the Tour that 12 months, his first of three titles.
Recent from their outstanding triumph within the Giro d’Italia with Simon Yates in opposition to UAE’s younger racer Isaac del Toro, Visma-Lease a Bike have been eager to indicate they’re able to take the combat to Pogačar in June as effectively.
However as UAE’s sports activities director Hauptman, usually within the lead workforce automobile when the Slovenian races, informed nationwide TV channel RTVSlo, UAE are very happy to satisfy that problem – and all others, too.
“We’re sticking to our plan, which we consider is the appropriate one. We’re undoubtedly conscious that Vingegaard and Evenepoel might be on the highest degree within the Tour, however we might be too,” Hauptman mentioned.
“We aren’t afraid of Vingegaard, we aren’t afraid of anybody.”
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Relating to the Critérium du Dauphiné, Pogačar has solely raced the important thing warm-up race for the Tour de France as soon as earlier than, again in 2020.
After final 12 months, the place Pogačar crushed the sector within the Giro d’Italia however then rested up afterwards for the entire of June, Hauptman mentioned that as a degree of reference for this July, the Critérium might be important.
“The Dauphiné might be an actual check for the Tour de France with the identical organiser and comparable competitors,” he argued to RTVSlo.
“Tadej will certainly be at a prime degree there, we’re used to him being in prime form all season. We’ll see the place we’re, after which add the ending touches together with his altitude coaching camp.”
Pogačar has already been coaching at altitude in Sierra Nevada, and can go on to the Dauphiné from the Spanish ski station, Hauptman mentioned. He’ll go to altitude once more, however within the Alps, after the Dauphiné ends on June 15. From there, it will likely be onto the Tour de France begin on July 5 in Lille.
“Each three-week race is brutal, however the greatest distinction is created by the riders themselves. Within the Tour, particularly, the competitors is at its highest, and the strain is very large,” Hauptman noticed about Pogačar’s greatest stage racing goal of the 12 months.
Other than the standard excessive temperatures of summer season, “The primary week in northern France may very well be very nervous, and we’ll need to be very cautious. Having a robust workforce to deal with all these levels might be vital.”
The 2025 Tour may also return to the Col de La Loze, the place in 2023, Pogačar, already on the again foot to Vingegaard after the day before today’s time trial at Combloux, definitively misplaced the general.
Then there’s additionally the ascent of the Mont Ventoux, the place Vingegaard dropped Pogačar within the 2021 Tour near the summit, in what turned out to be the primary indication that the Dane may in the future beat the Slovenian within the excessive mountains, as he did in each 2022 and 2023.
“There are fairly a couple of climbs the place Tadej has not but gained, together with the Col de la Loze,” Hauptman identified. “That may undoubtedly be further motivation for him.”
