Tadej Pogacar, the reigning Tour de France champion and current world champion, expressed his pleasure at being considered the man to beat as the prestigious race kicks off in Lille this Saturday. The 26-year-old Slovenian is aiming for his fourth Tour de France victory, having previously triumphed in 2020, 2021, and 2024.
“It’s been a great season, so far perfect. And going here to the Tour as one of the favorites, it’s an honor,” Pogacar stated at a press conference on Thursday. “I’m pleased and I hope I can live up to the expectations.”
Renewed Rivalry with Jonas Vingegaard
Pogacar anticipates his strongest challenge will come from Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard, who claimed Tour de France victories in 2022 and 2023. The rivalry between the two has been a defining feature of recent Tours. “The last five years were quite intense between me and Jonas,” Pogacar commented. “It’s great competition, rivalry, and I think this year is more or less the same as the last couple of years. I’m looking forward to racing against Jonas again. I think he’s in great shape.”
The UAE Team Emirates rider recently demonstrated his strong form by winning the Criterium du Dauphine last month, securing three stage wins and finishing 59 seconds ahead of Vingegaard in the overall standings.
Early Challenges Await
Pogacar highlighted that the opening week of the Tour de France presents numerous challenges. While the first mountain stage is slated for Stage 10, a time trial on Stage 5 could offer an early opportunity for general classification contenders to create significant time gaps.
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