"I don’t want to do the same routine every year. I wouldn’t last long in this sport" - Tadej Pogacar explains lack of stage racing in 2025

For the first time since the UAE Tour all the way back in February, Tadej Pogacar returns to stage racing action later this afternoon at the 2025 Criterium du Dauphine, as the UAE Team Emirates - XRG leader looks to add the finishing touches to his Tour de France preparations.

"The competition here is fantastic — nearly identical to the Tour — and there are some tough stages, including a time trial. I need to remind myself that I’m coming off a long training block and that we’re preparing for the Tour," previews Pogacar in his pre-Dauphine press conference. "If something goes wrong and I don’t win the Dauphiné, I need to let go of that pressure."

"I know the spotlight is on me, but I want to enjoy this and see how my legs feel," continues the Slovenian. "Of course, I’ll try to win, but the Dauphiné hasn’t always been a predictor of Tour de France success. Hopefully everything goes smoothly — no stress, no pressure — and we get some great racing."

Pogacar is also keen to lessen the expectation that he'll just turn up and immediately be at his top form though. "I need to let go of the idea that I have to win the Dauphiné — it’s my first stage race since the UAE Tour," he explains. "The change in schedule was mostly about wanting to explore new things. I don’t want to do the same routine every year. If I did, I wouldn’t last long in this sport. So we tweak the program a bit each time — though the Tour is always the centrepiece, haha. Changes are good, at least for me. They help me grow, especially by gaining experience in different types of racing, at different speeds and on varied terrain. If you only race stage races, things become repetitive. The classics are more stimulating for me."

"Everyone knows I’ve been training a bit differently with a new coach for the past two years. I’m not saying it’s better, but after four years it was time for a change," clarifies Pogacar. "It opened up new areas for improvement. I can’t really compare 2025 to 2024, since I raced the Giro last year. Back then, I had to focus more on rest and recovery, and I already had race legs going into the Grand Tours. This year, after the classics, I was a bit behind in that regard. But I trained well in Sierra Nevada and the heat there helped with heat adaptation too."

With both Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel also present however, Pogacar isn't the only Tour de France hopeful using the Dauphine as a tester. "From what I’ve seen, Jonas is in great shape, so we can expect him to be at a top level. He had a tough spring, but I think he’ll be very strong. I hope we can go head-to-head," says Pogacar of his main rival. "But I’m not just focused on Jonas — I’m watching the others too, like Remco. It’s going to be exciting to watch on TV, and hopefully just as thrilling in the race itself."