"His weak point is overconfidence” – Former UAE boss warns Tadej Pogacar

Tadej Pogacar got through the opening stage of the 2025 Tour de France without incident, staying alert when Jonas Vingegaard and Team Visma split the peloton in the final 20 kilometers. While rivals Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic were caught out and dropped time, Pogacar was right where he needed to be.

Still, not everyone is entirely convinced. Allan Peiper, Pogacar’s former team manager, expressed some concern over the defending champion’s mindset heading into the race.

"We don't really speak, but we send a message every few weeks," Peiper told De Avondetappe. "Then it's not about the race. I tell him what I'm doing in my life, and he tells me about what he's doing. I recently wished him luck in the Tour de France and told him how great our time was. He wasn't that well-known yet, but now he's in such high demand."

Peiper praised Pogacar's character off the bike, saying, "He is very sweet, very attentive. You see it on television that he gives his time to children and other people. That's who he is. He is a very friendly person and never says a bad word about anyone. He can be free from hustle and bustle and that also gives him a certain calm in the race. He wants to have fun, because that is part of him. Without that he cannot function."

But when it comes to the race itself, Peiper voiced a note of caution.

"His weak point is overconfidence. That worries me a bit. How he lost three years ago... And actually even two years ago after he broke his wrist. I thought he and his team would start with restraint, but they started riding right from the start."

Peiper also pointed to Team Visma’s tactical approach: "And I know those Dutch people (from Team Visma | Lease a Bike)... They are very cunning and smart. They wait day by day to strike. I am a bit reserved in that respect."

Looking ahead, Peiper expects a tight fight between the two favorites. "He rode a great spring, but something in me says that Vingegaard is waiting. That Vingegaard has a full tank, and I wonder how much Pogacar has in his tank. The most important thing is how much you have in your tank in the final week."

With summit finishes on Hautacam, Mont Ventoux, and Col de la Loze still to come, Peiper believes the terrain may favor Vingegaard. But he also acknowledged the form of both riders heading into the race.

"There will be a battle of the titans and let's hope that no one gets unlucky, because that would be a shame for the Tour. For me it is 50/50 at the moment."