Pogacar had extra motivation in the final time trial of the Tour: "That little voice was in my head the whole time"
Cycling
Crowning his work, that's what Tadej Pogačar did on Sunday in Nice. The UAE-Team Emirates leader completed the final time trial of the Tour de France significantly faster than his competitors, securing his sixth stage win in this year's Tour.
"I’m happy. I can’t even describe how happy I am, after two tough years in the Tour de France. There were always some mistakes, but now everything went perfectly. I don't have words for it; this is unbelievable," Pogačar said in his flash interview.
He then made a small confession. "This is the first grand tour where I had confidence every day. Even in the Giro, I had a bad day, but I won’t say which one. This Tour was just amazing; I enjoyed it immensely from the first to the last day. I had perfect support, so I couldn’t disappoint those people."
From his home, he executed another masterpiece on Sunday. "I started well in Monaco, on the Formula 1 circuit. The most beautiful circuit in the world. I kept an eye on the times of Remco Evenepoel, but in the end, I felt really good on that first climb. In my head, I had Urska (Zigart, his fiancée) with her voice, complaining that we did that climb so often in training. That’s why I wanted to go all out now; otherwise, I’d be betraying all that work," said the proud winner in his initial reaction.
Read more below the photo.
Pogačar looks ahead to World Cup after winning the Tour de France
And so, after Marco Pantani in 1998, he is the next to win both the Giro and the Tour in the same year. "I could never have imagined this. Some thought the Giro was a safe choice. Of course, that was already amazing, but to now win the Tour as well... that's on a whole other level. I’m very proud of that."
What's next? The Vuelta doesn’t seem to be on the agenda, but... "Mathieu van der Poel looks great in his rainbow jersey, so I'd like to wear that at some point. I still have time for that." The World Road Championships in Zurich are scheduled for the end of September.
Finally, Pogačar had some kind words for his competitors. "In recent years, we’ve heard that this is the best era in cycling, and I think I agree. With Remco, Jonas, Primož (Evenepoel, Vingegaard, and Roglič) and all the other rising stars, it’s just fantastic, so we should all enjoy it," he concluded. Amen.
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Latest Comments
- Well explained, thanks for the clarity! Daniel DantasDanieldantas20-12-2024
- This is the kind of 'news' that belongs in a cheap tabloid. No matter how boring the offseason gets, nobody wants to read this.
santiagobenites19-12-2024 - I wish we could have seen him try. He'd absolutely get dropped before Pogi overtakes his domestiquesVeganpotter10-12-2024
- Talk is cheap! Next year barring crashes with a healthy team... all well be on track! Some need to talk to make a headline!mootman27-11-2024
- I do not see this event listed on HBO Max Sports Online? Can anyone confirm? Thanks!
MrYuck23-11-2024 - It seemed that he was focusing forward at the time of the crash, after seeing a quick video snippet. But one thing I think he should focus on more intently is breaking a bad habit he has, right now. And that is his constant looking over his shoulders. He does that so much, that I am very sure it is not good for him. Simply watch videos of the greats of CX and you will see very little of that constant looking over their shoulders. That is a behavior that betrays a bit of insecurity on his part. He shouldn't be so concerned, incessantly, about what is over his shoulder. He needn't worry they didn't all disappear. He neds to keep his focus more ahead of himself, and he needs to pay a bit more attention to himself, in a confident manner. It is very frustrating to watch, because it is apparent that he has a lot of potential, and is in much better shape thwan many of his competitors, but the mental game needs to be sharpened more, because that part of strategy plays a huge part in the final results
reemmo022-11-2024 - hahahaha love this shit! I didnt even watched the race, but reading all the gossip articles of how stupid this is!Zatoichi19-11-2024
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024