“I do feel that there is a kind of momentum” - Tadej Pogacar growing in confidence as Tour de France reaches first rest day
Cycling
As expected, Tadej Pogacar has lit up the first portion of the 2023 Tour de France. On almost every stage, the Slovenian has been front and centre of all the excitement and Pogacar's confidence is also growing as we reach the first rest day.
“I do feel that there is a kind of momentum,” the leader of the UAE Team Emirates squad told Het Laatste Nieuws during the rest day. "Mostly I feel good. Today's rest does me good and I'm also ready to go at it again tomorrow. I am very happy with how the Tour has gone so far and I also feel better every day."
Having come into the Tour de France somewhat undercooked after a lack of racing since his crash at Liege-Bastogne-Liege, the worry for overall race leader Jonas Vingegaard and his Jumbo-Visma team is that Pogacar is hoping to reach his peak in the second and third weeks of racing.
"In the last week I should normally be better than in the first. My base was good in the spring and that should not be completely gone. You never know for sure, but normally I should get better towards the last part," he declares. "I love the rides in the Alps, I've already started exploring them. Every year I get better in the longer climbs, but we will have to wait and see.”
The first week hasn't been totally positive for Pogacar however, with the former two-time leader entering the rest day second in the general classification, 17 seconds behind his arch-rival, Vingegaard.
“I was especially surprised that I lost time on the Col de Marie Blanque, because I knew I was good. But I shouldn't be surprised about my latest achievements. I know myself well enough," he concludes. "I also think the battle with Jonas is very nice. Last year we already had one of the best editions of the Tour and this year a lot happened in the first week as well. That is only good for the sport.”
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- The likelihood of RE improving enough at this point to outclass TP or JV is less than zero.verve82521-12-2024
- That’s the most stupid thing I’ve read for a long time, did you not go to school and learn even the most basic physics? Aero depends on one thing only, drag, drag depends speed and the relationship is squared and apart from maybe at zero or the speed of sound or due to side winds that relationship is valid at all speeds, it dies not “suddenly” start at a magic number. Very simply, the faster you go the more the effect becomes important. If you think 25km/h is needed to have noticeable effects you’re delusional, athletic WR are cancelled as soon as winds top 2m/s that’s 7.2km/h, why because the assistance is already too important at that speed and the times prove it. You don’t even consider wind which can significantly increase the effective speed for aerodynamics and you underestimate speed of climbs, 6% is ridden more at 30 than 25km/h, a speed at which early generation high rims were considered to have more advantages than disadvantages. And finally, as in normal races you can’t just switch bikes according to terrain, it’s pretty pointless to discuss climbs as a separate situation, the aero will have justified itself plenty during the rest of the ride.Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- If you look at how much TP progressed in that 1 1/2 years you can no longer say that’s nothing. If Remco improves as much he’s a challenger!Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- Froome wishing to ride the Vuelta...he won't even be selected for the team!frieders320-12-2024
- Keep telling yourself that Remco but you not only have Tadeg to beat but Jonas!frieders320-12-2024
- Seems farfetched - I agree. Mas has beaten him once. Giro d'Emillia I think - 2022mobk20-12-2024
- Barring injuries, by the time Pogacar's dominance fads there will be lots of new young talent. Pogacar is about 1 1/2 years older than Remco. That's nothing.Sweep20-12-2024
- I actually don’t find that too impressive. In my later forties I did similar figures for a 3.5% gradient as a total nobody with no wind assistance. Am sure there’s margin for improvement there, especially looking at all the names on that list.Mistermaumau20-12-2024
- Jonas', was 6 years agospock12320-12-2024
- The race where he overnight suddenly turned nuclear after being packfodder at best for several years. His Sky days after that Vuelta and Pogačar’s last season shall remain the darkest post Lance stuff cycling has witnessed. Good riddance Froome.
UltimateOpportunist20-12-2024