"If you told me before the year started that I would achieve and win what I have so far, I’d have been really happy" - Tadej Pogacar

Tadej Pogacar has crashed and gotten injured at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and hasn't raced since. Nevertheless he leads the UCI rankings, both on it's normal format but also when it comes to 2023. That is a clear sign of how successful his first half of the year was, and he details how he feels about it.

"All thing considered it’s been a really good year so far. If you told me before the year started that I would achieve and win what I have so far, I’d have been really happy," Pogacar told The National. "The day I won in Flanders was up there as one of my best days on a bike, if not the best. My form was good, the team was exceptional and everything just clicked on the day."

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Having discovered his talent in the cobbles in 2022, it became a new goal for Pogacar. A rider of such immense talent and versatility can aim towards almost any race in the calendar, his climbing abilities saw him make the difference during many races throughout the spring, including Flanders - a race that has in modern times rarely seen stage-racers fight for the win.

"The history of the race and the passion for cycling in Flanders made it extra special. They were all special in their own way but it’s true that Flanders was a big target from the start of the year. The way that race panned out, and the job the team did to me in position to launch my attacks, it was amazing."

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Afterwards he moved on to win also Amstel Gold Race and the Fléche Wallone, however at Liège he crashed and suffered a wrist fracture. "Actually you could say it happened at a perfect time. Naturally I didn’t want it to happen like that, but I was due a long break and I guess the injury just forced me to rest a bit more." He will return to racing at the national championships after altitude camps and recon of several Tour de France stages, and teammates indicate his form is good.

"I was back on the indoor trainer a week after the crash. That way I could hold my fitness a bit and I also was doing rehab on the wrist and some running, core work, etc. I’ve already been back on the road for a few weeks now and feeling pretty good. It shouldn’t hinder me too much for the Tour, I think."

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Route Analysis | Profiles & Route Tour de France 2023

Final startlist Tour de France with BIB | Vingegaard, Pogacar, Cavendish, Van der Poel, Van Aert, Alaphilippe, Bernal, Pidcock, Sagan and Girmay