110th Tour de France
Victory-proof low-flyer: Pogacar’s mind games
Wants his third tour win: Tadej Pogacar (M). photo
© Daniel Cole/AP
One says about the other that he is the favorite. Shortly before the start of the 110th Tour de France, neither Jonas Vingegaard nor Tadej Pogacar want to see themselves as the hunted. The Dane probably has an advantage.
With a beret on his freshly coiffed head and infected by the euphoric fans Tadej Pogacar confident of victory.
With a victory sign towards the crowds, the Slovenian rolled off the ramp at Bilbao’s famous Guggenheim Museum. The clear message: The overall victory at the 110th Tour de France is only possible through me.
A good three hours earlier, the Slovenian, who had been personally named the “new cannibal” of cycling by the great Eddy Merckx, had been unusually reserved. “Jonas is the top favorite for the Tour,” said Pogacar of his rival and defending champion Jonas Vingegaard. He had also easily dominated the dress rehearsal, the Critérium du Dauphiné. “After that he said he wasn’t at his best yet. Let’s see what he does on the Tour,” said Pogacar. There were certainly a few mind games before the Grand Départ on Saturday, but the 23-year-old didn’t seem all that convinced.
At the end of an outstanding spring, Pogacar broke his navicular bone in a fall at the end of April. It’s still not fully healed. Although he has no problems on the bike, he estimates mobility at 70 percent at best. What is also missing are the race kilometers. Only the Slovenian championships, which didn’t really challenge him, are in his legs. How does that affect the three weeks on the toughest tour in years with over 55,000 meters in altitude? The superstar knows that as little as anyone else.
Crisp start in the Basque Country
Pogacar’s next problem: he has to be there from the first stage. “In the end there will be a maximum of 10 to 15 riders in front,” said the two-time Tour winner about the opening stage. The landscape in the Basque Country is like a roller coaster ride, and the program includes an altitude difference of 3,200 meters starting and finishing in Bilbao. On the second day, the replica of the Clásica San Sebastián is no different, and at 209 kilometers it is the longest stage of the tour.
Vingegaard does not want to be seduced by Pogacar’s flattery before the duel of the high-flyers. On the contrary. “To be honest, I expect him to attack right away on the first stage. A little like last year. I have to be ready for that,” said the Dane. The life of the skinny fellow from Jutland has been turned upside down since his triumph. “But I’m still the same. That’s the most important thing,” said the 26-year-old.
Vingegaard is fully geared towards touring
Unlike Pogacar, who won the Tour of Flanders this year, Vingegaard’s season is entirely dedicated to the Tour. He spent most of the year between tours working on his explosiveness on short climbs. He has the feeling that he has gotten better, said Vingegaard. That would be bad news for Pogacar, as he often managed to gain a few seconds on these profiles.
The fact is: It’s going to be tough, hectic, merciless. And from day one, most people don’t even think about the eight mountain stages. There will probably be a few more falls on the narrow Basque roads. That’s as unavoidable on the Tour as the French longing for a homegrown winner. There won’t be one this year either. Or to put it another way: for that to happen, so much has to happen that it can’t happen at all.
And from a German point of view? Georg Zimmermann probably has the greatest potential for a stage win. After two years of tour training, the Bavarian seems ready for the big thing. Emanuel Buchmann will be the noble helper for the ex-Giro winner Jai Hindley. If the Australian finishes on the podium, that would be a great success for the Bora-hansgrohe team. And somehow also a German one.