🇫🇷: @LeTour Stage 1 🚩 Bilbao - 🏁 Bilbao, 182km. ⏰:12.20- 17:15(CEST) ⚠️: A tough opener around the roads of Bilbao to crown the first wearer of the maillot jaune 🟡 📺: @Eurosport #TDF2023 #WeAreUAE
Jens Voigt has clear favourite for Tour de France victory: "Tadej Pogacar is the man, he will win this Tour de France"
CyclingSaturday, 01 July 2023 at 11:46
The Tour de France starts today, and immediately with a very hard stage in the Basque Country. The opening week will expose possible weaknesses, but whilst most look towards Tadej Pogacar and his possible lack of the top end form, Jens Voigt is very confident that the Slovenian will take the win.
“In my eyes it is completely clear. Tadej Pogacar is the man, he will win this Tour de France," Jens Voigt told Eurosport. “He is still upset and mad and angry and disappointed about last year’s defeat. For someone like Tadej Pogacar, being second in the Tour de France after winning it twice is a defeat. He is back with a vengeance. And the crash, as terrible as it was in the moment at Liege-Bastogne-Liege, forced him to really take a break. So every cell of his body is completely regenerated. He will be as fresh as anything, hungry, he is the man to beat.”
The battle between him and Jonas Vingegaard is highly anticipated, and it is widely believes the fight for win will be between the two of them. Voigt believes that he will also get the advantage from having a stronger team, which includes Adam Yates this summer.
“He’s got a really serious and reliable climber with him until the last kilometer of the last climb. So Pogacar's team is better and stronger than previous years. He’s not under-raced, he is just ready to go. What a great year he’s had. He’s been looking strong in a lot of races leading into this Tour de France," Voigt argues.
Today's stage into Bilbao could already see attacks, the brutal gradients have high chances of seeing the GC battle already begin. However in terms of time it's unlikely that there will be much damage from today.
"Yet man against man, I believe Pogacar is the stronger rider. A large advantage is this incredible strength of Jumbo-Visma – they are by far the strongest team at this Tour de France. But on a mountain, if you cannot follow the captain or the yellow jersey or the attack, not even 50 domestiques can help you. If you cannot follow Tadej Pogacar, you are second. And I believe that’s what we are going to see," Voigt concluded.
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