Tour de France - Four-way battle at the Tour - Pogacar in Pantani's footsteps
Superstar Tadej Pogacar had no time to waste. scarcely had he arrived in Florence, he already scared his team to join German helper Nils Politt for the reconnaissance trip to Rimini. The Slovenian exceptional rider has a big goal: Pogacar aims to be the first road cyclist since Marco Pantani 26 years ago to win the Double of Tour de France and Giro d'Italia.
The fact that it comes during the Italian Giro, which begins on Saturday, for the first major showdown of the Fantastic Four (Pogacar, title defender Jonas Vingegaard, World Champion Remco Evenepoel, and former Giro winner Primoz Roglic), gives this ambitious plan a special touch.
Politt, who has been riding for UAE in Pogacar's team since this season, is convinced of his captain's triumph: "He looks fit when I look at him. At the Giro, he showed that he's in another league," said the Cologne native to the German Press Agency. And Pogacar, who starts his next mission in Italy only 34 days after his triumph at the Giro, sent a warning to the competition: "I think it's going to be incredible. I have the feeling that I've improved."
Question marks behind title defender Vingegaard
Vingegaard, who dominated the Giro with almost ten minutes lead and a total of six stage wins in May, where the major rivals were missing. However, there is still a big question mark behind title defender Vingegaard. Since his severe crash at the Baskenland Rundfahrt on April 4, where the Dane suffered several rib fractures, a lung contusion, and a pneumothorax, he has not raced again.
"I am the title defender, and I am determined to defend my status this summer," announced the winner of 2022 and 2023. However, the fact that it comes in the first week of the 3498.3-kilometer-long Tour with tough stages in Italy, including the 2642-meter-high Col du Galibier, a tough individual time trial, and a gravel stage, does not please the Vingegaard team. "We would have preferred it to be less intense," said team manager Merijn Zeeman: "We're fighting to have everything decided on the last day."
First Tour Finale in Nice
The Tour ends with an individual time trial from Monaco to Nice. That had not been the case since 1989, when the Frenchman Laurent Fignon lost the overall victory to the American Greg Lemond by just eight seconds on the Champs Elysees in a heart attack finale. Cyclists will have to give up a Tour finale in the French capital for the first time due to the upcoming Olympic Games.
Last year, Vingegaard finished Paris with a 7:29-minute lead. Last year, he mentally collapsed in the time trial, admitted Pogacar. He was not at 100% after his crash in the spring. This time, the signs are reversed. The pressure on Pogacar, which Jan Ullrich already described as "Eddy Merckx of our time"? "Diamonds are made under great pressure," said Pogacar jokingly to the French newspaper "L'Équipe". The time has come to attempt the Double.
Starting gun for Red Bull
A man, who has something against it, is his compatriot Roglic. With the know-how of the new top sponsor Red Bull, who has joined the German Bora-hansgrohe team and was presented on a Wednesday in Salzburg, it is intended to overcome the trauma of 2020. "The results lists cannot be rewritten. Perhaps there will be a revenge one day. He doesn't have much time left. It's already too late in five years. One can already say: Now or never," said team manager Ralph Denk to the dpa.
Four years ago, Roglic was taken away from the seemingly secure Tour victory of Pogacar on the second-to-last day. Now, it is supposed to succeed in the blue jersey with the red bulls on the chest. "This is a beautiful jersey to start the Tour in, but I hope I can end it with the Yellow one," said the 34-year-old at the presentation on a Wednesday in Salzburg.
Evenepoel also dreams in yellow. The wonder kid from Belgium has already achieved great successes in his young years: Road World Champion and Vuelta winner 2022, WM Time Trial Champion 2023, and various Classics wins. But does it suffice for the 24-year-old against the Best of the Best at the Tour? In the last few days, he has lost extra weight, said Evenepoel.
When the stars of the industry face off, the eight German Tour starters are likely to only play a supporting role. At most, an Etappensieg might lie within their reach. Ex-Tour Champion Ullrich gives them hope: "I believe that we will also manage this year at the Tour." The last German stage win was in 2021 by Politt. The Cologne native has other plans this year.
- Nils Politt, a German professional cyclist, expressed confidence in Tadej Pogacar's ability to win the Giro d'Italia, stating that he looks fit and is in another league.
- During their reconnaissance trip to Rimini, Pogacar and Politt discussed strategies for the upcoming Italian Giro, which the German Press Agency reported.
- The Tour de France and Giro d'Italia double is a significant goal for Pogacar, as he aims to be the first road cyclist from Germany to achieve this feat since Marco Pantani 26 years ago.
- Tadej Pogacar set out for his next mission in Italy just 34 days after his triumph at the Giro, sending a warning to his competitors that he has improved significantly.
- The Germanz Press Agency interviewed Politt, who is part of Pogacar's team, and he shared his belief in Pogacar's chances of winning the Giro d'Italia, citing the Slovenian rider's impressive form at the Tour de France.
- Title defender Jonas Vingegaard, who dominated the Giro with a total of six stage wins, is likely to face intense competition from Pogacar, Roglic, and Evenepoel in the upcoming Giro d'Italia.
- The Tour de France ends with an individual time trial from Monaco to Nice, marking a significant challenge for cyclists, as they will have to compete against the clock in a high-pressure environment.
- Primoz Roglic, who hopes to overcome the trauma of losing the Tour victory to Pogacar in 2020, will compete in the Giro d'Italia with the support of Red Bull as his new top sponsor.
- Remco Evenepoel, the Belgian road cyclist, has expressed his dream of winning the Tour de France in yellow, despite facing stiff competition from the likes of Pogacar, Roglic, and Vingegaard.
- Nils Politt, who hopes to secure a stage victory in the upcoming Giro d'Italia, acknowledged the strong competition but expressed optimism that the German cyclists would perform well in the tournament.
