"I thought Pogi looked a bit worn out" - Former pro notices Pogacar Tour de France warning sign in message to Vingegaard and Visma
CyclingSaturday, 18 July 2026 at 13:30
Tadej Pogacar may be feeling worn out by the demands of the Tour de France, according to one former pro rider who noted the world champion cutting a shadow of his usual bright-eyed self earlier in the race.
Laurens ten Dam worries that the UAE Team Emirates leader may be feeling the effects of a fast and furious Tour de France as stages in recent days topped the stats among the fast-ever days at La Grand Boucle. Combined with his press and media duties of leading the yellow and polka dot jersey standings, ten Dam thinks Pogacar is paying the bill.
In the 2025 edition, he wore the yellow jersey for thirteen days on the way to his fourth win. Pogacar So far this year, he's worn yellow in eight out of the thirteen stages, been on the top step of the podium three times and also held the polka dot jersey on some other days he wasn't in yellow.
If he is to win the GC, he will spend at least the majority of the rest of the race with additional media duties and pressures after stages that come with leading the race.
Further fuelling ten Dam's theory is the notable change in his demeanour during the final week of the 2025 Tour as his attacks became less frequent and his mood noticeably lower, with the team subsequently admitting that he was suffering with both fatigue and a knee injury.
Ten Dam thinks Pogacar looked worn out
"I thought Pogi looked a bit worn out," he told podcast Live Slow Ride Fast.
"I saw the interview, and normally there's a really sprightly little guy sitting there, the kind you think: this guy hasn't suffered. But now he was sitting there staring blankly ahead. But his face did look a bit less fresh than on other days. It might be nitpicking, mind you, but I did notice it."
In his assessment of Visma | Lease a Bike's situation, ten Dam doesn't believe morale is high within the ranks, despite the team's public appearance projecting optimism that they can reel in Pogacar's 3:36 lead on Vingegaard.
"I don't know if I really believe that. If you've been riding around with relatively bad legs for two weeks, like Victor Campenaerts, then it is tough. And Jorgensen being sick, Armirail completely scraped... Then it is difficult to keep morale high."
"They can hardly say they lack morale, but I think it is a lot lower than the team time trial in Barcelona. Morale was really high there."
"You shouldn't put your head under the guillotine"
When it comes to beating the Slovenian, the former pro thinks there's one thing the team certainly should not do - poke the bear by setting a high tempo in an attempt to ride Pogacar off the wheel.
"You shouldn't put your head under the guillotine against your better judgment. A few years ago, Vingegaard also tried to ride hard from the bottom of a climb with Pogacar on his wheel. But then you know you'll run into that counter. You shouldn't provoke that counter now either."
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However, he doesn't rule out the possibility of Pogacar reaching a breaking point, and thinks Visma should do everything they can to control the gap between the pair in case there comes a chance in the long climbs on week three.
He concluded: "A few days ago there were cracks in UAE, and then they were all dropped quickly. "And maybe you see a crack in Pogi. Just wait for that third week, for those two ascents of Alpe d'Huez. This deficit can also be turned around in a single mountain stage."
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 would like to see a Mathieu vs Mads showdown on stage 17, like we've had at Gent-Wevelgem. And then on stage 21 Pogačar can join in and why not Remco too.
Rafionain-Glas18-07-2026 - All valid points. Only problem is, everyone else looks more worn out (except Florian Lipowitz, who hasn't ridden to his fullest in order to protect cry-baby Remco's GC ambitions)Rafionain-Glas18-07-2026
- Armstrong is repulsive. The fact that he doped is bad enough but what really makes him a terrible person is how he attacked some really good people in cycling. Just ask Frankie and Betsy Andrew, Greg LeMond and Emma O'Reilly how he made their lives miserable so he could perpetuate his lie that he was clean. Those are just a few names on the list of people he bullied and/or went after with his lawyers to silence the truth. Even if he hadn’t doped, he is not someone I would ever want to know.
Rggg18-07-2026 - Roglič will fall out of GC, go in the breakaway and get caughtRafionain-Glas18-07-2026
- Answer: He doesn't look himself in the mirror and never has. Have you seen how grimy his face is?Rafionain-Glas18-07-2026
- How can this guy look himself in the mirror? He admitted doping 7 tdf titles and still says he has the record? What a clown. How come he has such visibility and importance in cycling, when he did so bad to the sport? Thousands must have stopped following cycling when this came outLobz7718-07-2026
- Who was gifted what exactly?
Andrew18-07-2026 - Great win for the Aussie team. Brings a bit of life into the race.whit2pet18-07-2026
- They said the same thing last year..
leedorney18-07-2026 - Maybe he has a key role in the plan for the third week that Visma have been talking of.Hills3318-07-2026
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