“I thought he looked very thin" - Grand Tour shape Tadej Pogacar stuns Red Bull - BORA Hansgrohe riders during training camp
Cycling
An update on Tadej Pogacar's preparation and shape for the 2026 Tour de France has come from an unlikely source - a rival team in Red Bull - BORA Hansgrohe. With multiple WorldTour teams wrapping up Sierra Nevada training camps, the team of Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz caught a glimpse of the reigning Tour champion as he prepares to defend his title.
Maxim Van Gils and his Red Bull teammates are hard at work, fine-tuning details for the July showdown as Evenepoel keeps his preparation low-key and without races before arriving at the Barcelona Grand Depart. Van Gils is recovering from a nasty Clasica Jaen crash injury with a new coach, but shared an update on the Slovenian.
Pogacar passed Van Gils and his teammates on a climb in the popular Spanish altitude training spot, with the Belgian noting the speed of the world champion. After finishing his spring classics block at a heavier and more powerful weight, Pogacar went away to slim down for the high mountains of the Tour.
Pogacar passes Red Bull - BORA Hansgrohe riders while training
And according to Van Gils, Pogacar is well on his way to reaching prime shape in time for July. He noted that a "normal" climbing effort appeared to see him pass the Red bull riders at a significant speed.
“Tadej [Pogačar] passed us a few times, and he was going very fast,” Van Gils said in an interview with HLN.
“We really were not riding slowly, but Tadej went uphill extremely hard. At first we thought he was doing it to bluff a little and that he had hidden in the bushes a few corners later. But when we got to the top, we saw him again. So it really was just a normal climbing effort for him.”
Pogacar appears 'very thin'
One of the most notable aspects of Pogacar's season has been his transition into a new phase of training - re-focusing from classics goals to grand tour preparation. While showing a strong level at the Tour de Romandie in May, many noted his heavier weight meaning his strength was diminished slightly on longer climbs.
However, the 26-year-old Belgian gave a definitive update on Pogacar's shape. He added: “I thought he looked very thin."
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Pogacar returns to racing for the Tour de Suisse on June 17th. Having never won the stage race before, he faces five stages to fine tune and attempt to add another WorldTour stage race to vast palmares.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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- i am sure that under the pretext of medical examination a lot worse has happened when they were under.abstractengineer02-11-2026
- dude, Lemond never even was in the same race as Armstrong. He throws all these aspersions on other American riders who might usurp his throne as the greatest ever American racer. He doesn't say a single thing about (foreign) dopers who he actually raced against. Biggest douchebag move ever. I used to revere that guy, now I despise him. His actions are so weird.fatsupermodel02-11-2026
- This is just stupid, You do what you are good at not what you are weak at. He has no results to speak of when he participated. Even Froome, Conatdor had very little. With Pogi there he wont win none of the classics. he is already 30+ with a few years left at the top. It takes years to get good at classics. Is that really worth the effort???abstractengineer02-11-2026
- Sure, little fella.awp02-11-2026
- You'll be the ongoing joke of 2027 with anything you post here!frieders302-11-2026
- Awwww your inside information must be from PogiFanGirl. You two daughters of different mothers?frieders302-11-2026
- Hey PogIFanGirl...wipe that cream from your lips! You're ever loving drooling and whatever you have for Tadej has your brain fried!frieders302-11-2026
- Why should he 'let it go' ! Because you said so? Anytime LA Doper is called out is a win win !frieders302-11-2026
- Geez LeMond...let it go. You're a has been, albeit a former great one. But this is all water under the bridge and just undermines your legacy further.Mshark01-11-2026
- 'The Slovenian has collected four Tour de France titles' ... '[Kieran Wood's] ... reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis'. i would say that is pretty inaccurate accurate coverage, kieran wood ... too bad that AI's knowledge often lags several months behind ... but proof reading is certainly part of accurate coverage, isn't it? but fortunately does Kieran Wood place 'strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.' i would say the fifth tdf title is pretty new (and even verified) information, so feel free to update this article.Ketterechts01-11-2026
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