💗 The man of the hour 👀 #GirodItalia
UAE Team Emirates have a tight hold of the overall classification at the Giro d'Italia and they face a hard challenge today on the 15th stage with a lot of climbing meters, altitude and famous ascents. However, Tadej Pogacar's teammates do not have too much to worry
"Tadej is always quite relaxed. It is very impressive how he handles the pressure," Felix Grossschartner said in words to In de Leiderstrui. "It’s not just about the pressure he puts on himself to win races, but also about how everyone expects him to do that. He is one of the best ever on the bike, and off the bike, his personality is amazing. I love being his teammate."
The Dutch news outlet collected words from Pogacar's key teammates following the time-trial, after they attempted to recover as much as possible on the day- The team has spent long days in the head of the peloton over the past two weeks and have been rewarded with three stage wins and a race lead that looks unlikely to be dethroned.
Rafal Majka has often been the last man standing in the mountains. "We just need to live in the moment, see how everyone feels, and if there's a chance to gain time, he will do it," the Pole says, without giving any insight to the team's true intentions. Howver, today's stage 15 is certainly one where the team may ultimately give their all to win in pink once again: "He is very ambitious, but also very smart. It will be a special day, the queen stage of this Giro. And if you're the best rider in the race, you want to win a stage like that."
"I feel okay and I'm optimistic," Domen Novak, who kept up with Pogacar throughout the whole year, added. "The past few days were a bit easier, but the last week will be tough. For me, these are perfect days because the course goes uphill, which is better. You'll see if Tadej makes a move... I hope everyone has good legs, then we'll do our best."
"Sunday will be a battle. All teams will try to beat us, but they will also have to think about their own positions. We can stay calm, we're already more than three minutes ahead. The goal is to keep the jersey. We take it as it comes,"
💗 The man of the hour 👀 #GirodItalia