Tour de France - Time trial duel of the top stars: Pogacar has a favorite
Tadej Pogacar, the Slovenian exception, has a favorite for the first time trial at the 111th Tour de France. The Slovenian rider sees Belgian time trial world champion Remco Evenepoel as the front runner, pushing some pressure onto himself. "He is the favorite for sure. He is the world champion and he has shown many times that he can beat anyone. He is the one to look out for," said the 25-year-old Pogacar after the sixth stage.
Evenepoel could make up time on the overall leader Pogacar in yellow on Friday over the 25.3 kilometers between Nuits-Saint-Georges and Gevrey-Chambertin. Or even take the lead unexpectedly: After six stages, Pogacar leads by 45 seconds over Evenepoel and 50 seconds over title defender Jonas Vingegaard.
Pogacar: "I like the course"
The competition among the favorites for the first of two individual time trials is highly anticipated. Two-time Tour winner Pogacar could extend his lead over Vingegaard, the Dane, after his Alpine duel at the Col du Galibier. Sufficiently, Pogacar said after his first stage win against his rival, that he was looking forward to the "next rendezvous at the time trial."
Pogacar had long studied and tested the conditions for Friday. "I like the course, it will be a nice time trial. It is very fast and you have to be very performance-strong."
Pogacar with a scare on the sprint stage
For Pogacar, the seemingly relaxed sprint stage on Thursday, which was won by Dutchman Dylan Groenewegen, was not without challenge. After a sneaky windy corner attack, Pogacar suddenly found himself without team help. However, they later caught up. "It was a very stressful day. But I was glad that the stage wasn't too long."
The first time trial comes early in the Tour. After that, there are the challenging gravel challenges on Stage 9 and many climbing sections. The second time trial will then decide the outcome at the latest. The Tour de France ends on July 21 with an individual time trial between Monaco and Nice.
Tadej Pogacar acknowledged the strength of Remco Evenepoel in the upcoming individual time trial during the 111th Tour de France, stating that the Belgian is the clear favorite due to his world champion title and consistent performances. The international cycling event in France, which is part of the UCI WorldTour, sees Pogacar leading by 45 seconds over Evenepoel and 50 seconds over Jonas Vingegaard, putting pressure on himself to maintain his position. In anticipation of the first of two individual time trials, stars such as Pogacar, Evenepoel, and Vingegaard will compete in a highly anticipated event, with Pogacar expressing his enthusiasm for the fast, performance-demanding course in Dijon. Despite a scare on the sprint stage, Pogacar remains focused, with the first time trial marking an early test in his quest to defend his Tour de France title, which will be decided in the final individual time trial between Monaco and Nice.
