“I asked him if he believed in the breakaway today, and he said, ‘Maybe not’”: Tobias Johannessen reveals Tadej Pogacar's spot-on prophecy ahead of stage 14

Tobias Johannessen was one of the protagonists of stage 14 at the Tour de France, spending much of the day in the breakaway alongside his twin brother Anders before eventually being caught on the final climb. Despite seeing his bid for victory end under the pressure of UAE Team Emirates-XRG, the Norwegian came away encouraged by the performance, and even revealed a humorous pre-stage conversation with Tadej Pogacar that proved remarkably accurate.

Before the start in Mulhouse, Johannessen decided to seek an unusual opinion on the day's tactics. Rather than asking only his sports directors, the Uno-X Mobility rider went directly to the race leader.

“I talked with Pogacar at the start,” Johannessen said after the finish. “I asked him if he believed in the breakaway today, and he said, ‘Maybe not.’”

The Slovenian's prediction turned out to be spot on. UAE Team Emirates - XRG kept the breakaway under tight control throughout the stage, never allowing the advantage to grow much beyond three minutes.

That did not stop Johannessen from trying. He attacked as part of a 37-rider move on the Grand Ballon, with his twin brother Anders joining him. “We just agreed to force our way through the stage,” Tobias said. “I’m really proud to be up there with my twin brother.”

Anders played a crucial supporting role, doing much of the work in the valley before the Col du Haag to keep the breakaway alive. “He was so strong pulling in the last valley,” Tobias explained. “I think he matched the UAE guys quite well.”

After Anders emptied himself for his brother, Johannessen pressed on alongside Richard Carapaz. The Ecuadorian launched an aggressive attack as the Col du Haag steepened, but Johannessen resisted the temptation to follow immediately.

“He was strong, of course, and he rides quite aggressively, so he went full gas,” Johannessen said. “I just kept my pace, and I managed to get him back. When the group came, they just went a bit too fast for me. Chapeau to him and all the other guys who went ballistic on the last climb.”

Although disappointed not to reach the finish ahead of the favorites, the Norwegian remained optimistic for the stages ahead. “We’re a bit disappointed that we didn’t go all the way to the finish,” he said. “But we’re going to try again. I think we showed that we are capable of good things.”

And despite Pogacar correctly predicting the outcome, Johannessen joked he has no intention of changing his routine. “I’m going to ask him every day,” he said. “We’re going to keep trying.”

Carapaz, meanwhile, was rewarded with the combativity prize after spending most of the day on the attack. The EF Education-EasyPost leader admitted the breakaway always faced an uphill battle once UAE kept the gap under control.

“We were very active from the start because we knew it was a great opportunity to fight for the stage win,” Carapaz said after the finish. “On the final climb, we realized I only had a one-minute lead over the peloton and understood that this stage would be decided among the general classification contenders.”

Despite missing out on victory, the Ecuadorian was encouraged by his improving condition. “The result is what it is; we gave it our all and we're proud of our performance. For me, this stage was a positive one. We fought to the very end to take the victory… but the race was very difficult. The tension was palpable from the start.”

“I'm happy with my performance because my legs are getting better every day and that motivates me. The crowd was incredible. Especially on the final climb, where the energy of the people was palpable. The support of the fans is essential for us.”