INTERVIEW | Steff Cras rates Pogacar versus Vingegaard and comments on INEOS controversy - "It was strange that we saw our main sponsor changing teams"

Steff Cras is a stage-racer by excellence and will start his third Tour de France. Ahead of the race he has confirmed to CyclingUpToDate his departure from TotalEnergies, the weird situation in which the team sponsor has partnered with INEOS Grenadiers; Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard's rivalry into the race.

For Cras however it is a special Grand Depart, taking into consideration how Lille is only a short drive away from home. "I just arrived, not so far from home. It was just a one hour 30 drive, so pretty relaxed day of travel," Cras told us this Wednesday afternoon. "It's quite special, it's not far from Belgium".

"I think there will be a lot of people, and yeah, it will be hectic for sure. So first 10 days will be different to the last Tour de France where we had still a hard first weekend. So yeah, it will be different this year". Whether this will benefit the Belgian or not remains to be seen, but he goes into the Tour with the goal of racing for the overall classification.

"Yeah, I think it's like the other guys also say, it's like, let's see what happens after the first 10 days, and then we see where we are. So yeah, like I say, I will not lose time on purpose, I think, the first 10 days, and then we see day by day. And yeah, if I'm out of the GC, I think it's good to go for stage wins, but there are not so many mountain stages this year also, so I think it will be like the big mountain stages will be anyway won by, I think, four guys," he believes.

"So if we need to go full, we need almost six, seven minutes at the bottom of a climb. So it will be hard just to stage hunting. So I think I keep all the options open in the start". This is what happened in the 2024 edition, and with Pogacar and Vingegaard being above the competition in such way, it's unlikely that they will give much importance if the lower Top10 riders get in breakaways in the final week, which may benefit riders such as Cras.

"Actually, we did not speak yet over the race structure, over the program, what we will do. I think it will be happening this evening, and then yeah, then we know more, actually, also because they waited long this year to make a selection for the race. So in the end, yeah, it's hard to go like focus really on one thing. And also, like in the preparation for this, it's quite, it was different to the other years. So I think I'm a little bit less in stress mode, like I would say, like the last two years, because actually, I was also not sure I was really doing the race until the end. So yeah, I'm more relaxed now to see what's happening".

The 29-year old won a race as a professional for the first time this May, that being the first stage of the Vuelta Asturias. This has made a meaningful difference in his motivation towards the Tour: "Yeah, it was really special. I was waiting already a long time for that. And yeah, when it actually happened, yeah, I was super happy. So also, like, afterwards, it's nicer to train with extra morale and go to try to take the second one. So yeah, I think it was a big relief afterwards".

Another motivating factor is Cras' future, which will not be at TotalEnergies. "So like in the last months, we were busy with speaking with other teams and looking what's the best for my future. And yeah, the last weeks, I made the decision and we came to the agreement with the other team," he confirms to us. It has been rumoured that this might be Soudal - Quick-Step, although Cras did not confirm. "Yeah, I really want to say it. But yeah, I cannot do it for the moment."

"So I think, yeah, my future is already set. So yeah, I don't know what's happening with the team here. But for sure, Total will sponsor, I think, until next year, like this week. So yeah, we are all waiting what's next for Total".

The French sponsor has moved into a sponsorship deal with INEOS Grenadiers, something which the Belgian did not expect, and does not know what it will mean for the team's future. "Yeah, I think it was strange that we saw our main sponsor changing teams. And yeah, I was in the end also end of contract".

On the battle between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, Cras believes that the Slovenian has the clear upper hand: "I think it will be hard. I think it will be really hard to beat him (Pogacar, ed.). Also, like you say, like you saw it in the Dauphiné, I think even if he (Vingegaard, ed.) maybe can improve 5% or something, I think it will be still not enough to beat Pogacar. I think he's the main favorite number one. And also, I think his shape also still improved after Dauphiné. So I think it will be hard for Vingegaard to beat him".

However, the Belgian has it that he does not directly lean into copying the duo's training methods. "Yeah, actually, in the end, I prefer to not watch too many other riders or just focusing too much on them. So I just, yeah, look what I can do and focus on my thing. That's the only thing I can do. Because also, if I see too much of the other guys, then it's like too hard to put everything in the head also, like mentally. So I prefer to just do what I can do and that's enough for me," he concluded.