"It's the queen stage. We want to go for it" - Tadej Pogacar not planning to defend on key stage 15 at the 2024 Giro d'Italia

Although he missed out on a 4th stage win, Tadej Pogacar was able to extend his lead in the general classification at the Giro d'Italia on the stage 14 individual time-trial. Ahead on Sunday's stage 15 queen stage, the UAE Team Emirates leader is now 3:41 clear at the top of the GC standings.

"I can be satisfied," said Pogacar in his post-stage interview, giving his immediate reaction to narrowly missing out on the stage win to INEOS Grenadiers' Italian national time-trial champion, Filippo Ganna. "He is maybe one of the best time-trialists in the world at this moment. Him, Remco Evenepoel and Joshua Tarling, they are the best in the world and today's parcour was suited to him. But, I enjoyed it today and I felt good. Especially in the first part of the course, it was really good for me."

Having denied Ganna the stage win in the earlier time-trial of this Grand Tour, the fact Pogacar started so strongly meant that was genuine concern for the Italian that he would again be forced to settle for second. As the ride went on however, Pogacar began to lose time and the time he reached the finish line, the difference had extended to 29 seconds in favour of the Italian.

"Tomorrow is the queen stage and we go with a comfortable lead," Pogacar assesses, although he isn't assuming his victory just yet. "You never know what can happen but it's better to have more time than less! So I'm super, super happy and I cannot wait for tomorrow also."

With such a margin in the GC, do UAE Team Emirates and Pogacar plan to attack or defend on the queen stage? "Let's see. Our plan will be to go as far as possible into the stage with as many teammates," the Maglia Rosa previews. "It's the queen stage. We want to go for the stage but let's see. It depends on the breakaway, it depends on what other teams want to do but yeah, we should focus on ourselves, do our own race and it will all be okay."