"I don't want to lose any time, but winning the stage is an extra motivation" - Tadej Pogacar refuses to rule out another Giro d'Italia attack on stage 15

Tadej Pogacar enters the queen stage of the 2024 Giro d'Italia firmly leading the general classification by 3:41 from Geraint Thomas. Will he attempt to increase the gap further, or just follow moves and converse energy with the Tour de France in mind?

“The weather is nice today and it looks like a tough stage. We can see how things are going, but I'll try to enjoy it no matter what happens,” says the 25-year-old, two-time Tour de France winner in conversation with Eurosport ahead of stage 15, having increased his advantage in the standings even further on the stage 14 individual time-trial, despite missing out on the stage win by just 29 seconds to a rampant Filippo Ganna. 

When pressed if he will or will not lay down another brutal attack to further destroy the resolve of his rivals, Pogacar keeps his cards close to his chest. “The goal is to keep the pink jersey, to maintain my lead in the GC. I don't want to lose any time, but winning the stage is an extra motivation. It would be great if this stage was added to my palmares," he says. “We will see how many riders we have left after the first two climbs. It is also hoped that we can survive the Mortirolo with several riders. Then we will see how to approach it.”

When it comes to the likes of Geraint Thomas, Daniel Martinez and Ben O'Connor among others however, Pogacar isn't concerned about one man in particular, instead opting to focus solely on himself and his own abilities. “I don't know what to expect from the competition, but the stage is so tough," the Slovenian leader of the UAE Team Emirates team stresses in conclusion. "It is especially important to look at yourself. To eat and drink well, to get through the stage well."