"Maybe it's time for Pogacar to make a choice" - Adrie van der Poel argues that classics focus hinders Tadej Pogacar at Tour de France

Many question the focus of Tadej Pogacar throughout the year. Adrie van der Poel is part of that group, he wonders if the preparation and risk associate with the spring classics has ultimately saw him struggle in the Tour de France against Jonas Vingegaard.

“The Tour is so tough these days. The level is also so high that you really have to work towards the Tour. But the level is also so high in the classics. I have already seen Pogacar at work in Jaén and Ruta del Sol (Vuelta a Andalucia, ed.)," Adrie van der Poel told Wielerflits. "He was actually really great there. And he wins the Tour of Flanders, Amstel Gold Race and the Flèche Wallone, eh.”

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No doubt the Slovenian has had an amazing season and continues to lead the UCI rankings. It is by no coincidence taking into consideration his run of wins in the spring, however at Liège-Bastogne-Liège he crashed out and that has hampered his preparation for the Tour de France. He seemed completely fit and in perfect racing form in all but one day at the Tour, that of the Col de la Loze where he imploded and lost many minutes, alongside the realistic chance of winning the race.

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“Maybe it's time for Pogacar to make a choice. If I look purely at him, he is a great added value in the classics. In all, by the way. It would be a shame if he could make a choice: ride Tirreno-Adriatico, the Tour of the Basque Country, altitude training, then the Critérium du Dauphiné or the Tour de Suisse and then the Tour. I think there is still an intermediate solution, by adjusting his way of racing," he says, as a base plan for the UAE Team Emirates rider to target the Tour. "Everything he won in the spring was through a long solo.”

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Jonas Vingegaard on the other hand had a fully stage-race focused spring, with Gran Camiño, Paris-Nice and Itzulia Basque Country in his plan. Although in their only direct match Pogacar was superior, at Itzulia Vingegaard was looking at his best level, and then took his time to prepare for the Tour with the biggest possible focus, as was the case with most of Jumbo-Visma.

“I think Vini (Vingegaard, ed.) might be just a little better this Tour. But that is also largely due to – as I hear it here and also read in the media – that it has been a bit of a stretch for Pogacar to get into the Tour. With some doubt. I would never have sprinted in his position for the bonus seconds en route and at the finish," Mathieu van der Poel's father argues. "But gamble on that one super day that will come and look from there. The base has been narrower due to that wrist injury. Then you have to be smarter with the powers you have.”

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In that side of the spectrum Pogacar was far from ideal in the Dutchman's opinion, attacking the race from day one, and virtually every mountain stage - except for the two where he lost time to Vingegaard. Although he's made small gains in terms of bonifications and some seconds throughout the race, it may have helped in the ultimate downfall of his run for the yellow jersey.

“I think the loss of Allan Peiper also plays a very important role. And that is strange, because it will not matter to a team like UAE Emirates that they cannot pay Allan's salary," he added on Pogacar's former mentor. "If you see that a team really specializes with all good riders that they can get from anywhere with financial resources, then as a Pogacar you might have to choose. Personally, I like to see him race. Pogacar is a very good ambassador for cycling. I would find it a loss if he no longer does classics in function of the Tour.”

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