Tadej Pogacar begins Tour de France countdown at Tour of Slovenia
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) returns to competitiveness for the first time given that profitable Liège-Bastogne-Liège when he traces up for the opening phase of the Tour of Slovenia on Wednesday. The five-working day occasion is set to be Pogačar’s last stage race just before he defends his Tour de France title later this thirty day period.
“For myself and my staff, this is a preparing race right before the begin of the Tour. I was always shut to the podium on Tour of Slovenia, now I unquestionably want to earn. We’ll see how sturdy my legs will be,” Pogačar explained in a push convention on the eve of the race.
The Slovenian has raced in his household tour on three earlier instances, inserting 5th total in 2017 and then 4th overall in each 2018 and 2019.
The Tour of Slovenia was cancelled last calendar year to the coronavirus pandemic, and Pogačar rode a scaled-again Critérium du Dauphiné in preparation for the Tour through the condensed and revised season.
He most well-liked to full his make-up to this year’s race on residence streets fairly than line up in France in June. Pogačar used three weeks teaching at altitude at Sestriere in May and early June, and he is predicted to line out in the Slovenian championships street race and time trial following his countrywide tour.
“After my last race I experienced a time to relaxation and do a great deal of advertising obligations, then we went to examine the Tour route and went on the altitude camp,” Pogačar mentioned.
“Critérium du Dauphiné was our 1st preference, with Tour of Slovenia as a solid 2nd alternative. About two months ago we decided in favor of Slovenia, which gave us more time for other obligations. I also get pleasure from racing in this article.”
Pogačar’s fellow countryman and GC rival Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) is not at the Tour of Slovenia. Like Pogačar, he has not raced given that Liège-Bastogne-Liège, but he has opted not to contend at all ahead of the Tour, preferring as an alternative to train at altitude at Sierra Nevada and Tignes.
Pogačar is joined in the UAE Workforce Emirates line-up in Slovenia by two-time winner Diego Ulissi, as effectively as Rafał Majka and Matteo Trentin.
Matej Mohorič, who experienced a dramatic crash at the Giro d’Italia on phase 9, can make his return to motion at the Tour of Slovenia for Bahrain Victorious. The Slovenian is also thanks to the ride the Tour de France.
“Luckily, I wasn’t wounded in that Giro crash, but we did modify the unique approach to go to France straight from Italy. Following I still left Giro early, we had a lot more time and we made a decision to do previous preparations on Tour of Slovenia,” stated Mohorič.
“Tadej is defending Tour de France winner, but we’re not in France. Of course he’s beloved #1 and I think he needs to get genuinely tough, but very same goes for yet another 150 cyclists. We will for guaranteed make the hard work to make it challenging for him. It is an open up race.”
