With an eye on the World Championships, Pogacar makes his rivals shiver with solo win in Montréal: "I can’t wait for Zürich"

In a way that no one had done before, Tadej Pogacar claimed victory in the GP Montréal. The Slovenian superstar from UAE Team Emirates made his move in the penultimate lap and crossed the finish line solo: he seems completely ready for the World Championships in Switzerland.

In the flash interview after the race, Pogacar shared his perspective on the race. "The team did an amazing job; we executed exactly as we wanted today. It was great racing, kudos to all the teammates. Without them, the plan wouldn’t have been possible. Fortunately, I also had good legs to finish it off." Pogacar made his move not in the last lap, but in the lap before. "That was the plan. We executed it very well. I’m very happy with this victory; we did it as a team."

It was unusually warm in Canada, which made the tough race even harder. "It was a very hot, tough day. We did one lap less than two years ago, but that didn’t change anything. It was an extremely tough race on a beautiful course with nice weather, even though it was a bit too warm. But I can’t complain," chuckled the all-rounder. In the heat, Pogacar outpaced Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-Victorious), who finished second, 24 seconds behind. Pogacar had plenty of time to celebrate the victory with the crowd.

'Training ride' in Montréal a precursor to WC in Switzerland?

With the victory in Montréal, the preparation for the World Championships in Zürich seems to be on track. "It’s a nice mental boost. It gives me extra confidence for the race in two weeks; I can’t wait for Zürich. I’m going home now to make the final preparations and complete the last training sessions. We’re ready." The road race at the World Championships in Switzerland is scheduled for Sunday, September 29.