"All the routes are a bit for him, right?" - Tadej Pogacar's agent shrugs off idea of 'Anti-Pogacar Tour'

The 2025 Tour de France route will be revealed and we can virtually confirm Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard will be present, likely as the two main favourites as well. We've got the opinion of Pogacar's agent on the route, his rivalry with Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel, and further plans for the upcoming season.

Dutch pundit Thijs Zonneveld argued that the route had been designed to make it difficult for Tadej Pogacar: "So it can't be otherwise that they have thought about the Anti-Pogi-Tour: a course that suits him as little as possible." This statement was met with a lot of discussion, mostly against the idea. Carrera, who was in Paris to see the presentation, shared that opinion:

"All the routes are a bit for him, right? Because he is a great rider, he is strong in the mountains, in time trials, he has already won three Tours de France... It is certain that this will be his big goal for next season", Carrera told Cyclism'Actu at the Tour's presentation.

With no visible weakness, and having evolved significantly as a climber in 2024, it can't be said that anyone is favoured more than him in this route - which includes a very flat and explosive first half, with the high mountains saved for the 12th stage onward. This year he's had a prime Vingegaard and Evenepoel on his heels and without unneceessary time losses, but when the roads were the hardest, he frequently managed to make the difference despite the incredibly high level.

Visma confirmed Vingegaard will have the Tour as it's main goal next year, whilst Evenepoel has also hinted at his presence. "I think it's very important for cycling that there is a great rival like Jonas. But there is also Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic, and it's better for cycling if they are there. I will already be happy if he does as well. And if he does better... But it's very difficult. He is very serious and professional, and with a great team like UAE, I think he can continue to achieve the same results. It would be good for him, for cycling."

Carrera also responded to the much-repeated statements of Pogacar making racing 'boring': "If you watch the races, I think for the spectators it's not true. People love him because he provides a great spectacle, you never know when he's going to attack when you're watching TV," he argues. "And that's the most important thing. A few years ago, only the last 10 kilometres were important, the fans only watched the last 20 or 30 minutes. Today, you have to watch the race three hours before the end, like at the Worlds, so it's very important for the spectacle and for cycling".

Will the UAE Team Emirates rider also race the Vuelta a España next year as is being rumoured? Quite possibly, alongside the UAE Tour, Milano-Sanremo and Tour of Flanders in the spring - this may be his main goal set, before the World Championships in Rwanda which will suit him very well. But for the time being it's only a group of ideas, and in December at the team's main winter training camp decisions will be made.

"He will have a meeting with his team and Joxean Fernandez Matxin in December. He has to wait to see the route of the three Grand Tours, and they will decide then in December. So I don't know yet, even if it is certain that he will do the Tour because it is very important for him, the team and the sponsors," Carrera adds. "But for the Giro, La Vuelta, and all the rest, we will have to see. The three? Mauro Gianetti and Tadej have already said that it is very difficult."