Is Pogacar settling scores with Visma | Lease a Bike? "He's been so pissed off for the past 2 years"

Tadej Pogacar demonstrated once again on Friday that he is the best rider in this Tour de France. The Slovenian dealt decisively with Visma | Lease a Bike's Jonas Vingegaard (in the overall classification) and Matteo Jorgenson (for the stage win) on the way to Isola 2000, emphatically asserting his dominance. Thijs Zonneveld shares in his podcast "In het Wiel" that this revenge must taste sweet.

"Pogacar has a score to settle with Visma; this is outright revenge," the Dutch analyst opines in his podcast. "He has been so pissed off in the final week over the last two years. That’s been the catalyst for him to elevate his game and turn things around. Now, it’s time for payback."

Lance Armstrong, among others, has criticized the Slovenian’s aggressiveness. "Historically, many champions eventually realize that trying to win every day can make more enemies than allies," observes Zonneveld, identifying a familiar pattern. "Until now, Pogacar had the advantage of being liked for his personality. His popularity is quite high for someone who wins so much."

"The divide and conquer strategy was very standard in the 90s and 00s. Indurain, Armstrong, basically all frequent winners employed it. There comes a point when it becomes too much," notes the "In het Wiel" analyst. "This Tour is the first time I see him seeking revenge. When he attacked, he looked back. And I think I know why—to bring Evenepoel with him. His desire for revenge seems stronger than one might have anticipated."

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"The battle between Visma and UAE is more than just competitive animosity"

Zonneveld, who thinks Pogacar's approach is logical" "The duel has been ongoing for four years, so it makes sense that it runs deep. He is the best rider in the world and is accustomed to always winning, yet he hasn’t won the most important race for two years because another team collectively targeted him. Now, he's turning the tables, taking them down one by one."

This is part of a broader conflict between Visma | Lease a Bike and UAE-Team Emirates. "It's also a clash of styles. After Plateau de Beille, he said: they showed guts, finally. In that 'finally,' you can see his real thoughts—that they are trying to make him lose, which is true. It's more than just competitive hostility. But it's logical because these are the two best teams in the world. They constantly clash. You can sense that underlying rivalry, so I think Pogacar is indeed settling scores in this Tour.'