PRESS CONFERENCE: “He’s not the only one that can come close... the guy next to me” - Tadej Pogacar turns Vingegaard question into Del Toro Tour de France warning
CyclingThursday, 02 July 2026 at 19:37
Tadej Pogacar refused to reduce the 2026 Tour de France to another straight duel with Jonas Vingegaard as he arrived in Barcelona for his latest yellow jersey defence. CyclingUpToDate were present at the UAE Team Emirates – XRG leader’s pre-Tour press conference to document every word.
Asked whether Vingegaard was the only rider capable of getting close to him this year, Pogacar immediately widened the frame. He pointed to “quite a few guys” who can aim for victory, then gestured towards Isaac del Toro, sitting next to him, before returning to a rivalry with Vingegaard he described as “spectacular”.
The Slovenian arrives at the Tour after only 16 race days this season, but insisted the training kilometres have been enough and that he feels ready. He also spoke at length about balancing modern performance methods with recovery, warning that riders still need to know when to stop chasing every possible marginal gain.
Pogacar also addressed Urska Zigart’s recovery after her crash, his decision to stay at home before the Tour, his donation to help repair homes in Komenda, the strength of UAE Team Emirates – XRG, the familiarity of racing in Barcelona and his light-hearted wish for Del Toro over the next three weeks: “That he wins the Tour de France.”
Full Tadej Pogacar press conference Q&A
Question: Today, maybe the only one who can come close to you this year is Jonas Vingegaard. Your rivalry has been going on for years now. How would you describe this rivalry on the bike and your relationship off the bike?
Tadej Pogacar: First of all, thank you all for coming. And second, I do not think that he is the only one who can come close. I think there are quite a few guys here who can aim for the victory. The guy next to me.
But the competition between me and Jonas for the last few years was spectacular, I would say. I think it will continue for a few more years, I hope. We will see. I think we push each other to new heights every year. So we will see how far we go this year.
Question: How is Urska doing after the crash? And how was it to have some time together before all this madness?
Tadej Pogacar: Thank you for the thought. Urska is doing much better. She is riding already outside, even though the doctor does not recommend going out on the bike.
She is super strong, healing super fast. Any broken bone is not nice, but the broken jaw, I think we can see now how tough it is with the food and everything. But she is really good. It was a good decision to stay home together these days. It was a pretty good time. I am already focused on the Tour.
Pogacar quiz for cycling experts
10 questions · ≈ 5 min · 16 players
to compete in the ranking.
Question: I saw you donated €100,000 for your village, Komenda. Just before the Tour de France, you do not really have to do that. Why are those projects important to you? And more broadly, what kind of projects are close to your heart and do you value?
Tadej Pogacar: I mean, I do not have to do that. But my neighbours, where I grew up, lost their roofs. A lot of roofs went flying a few weeks ago in my hometown.
I think it is quite important to have a roof over your head. I must say that while I was growing up in Komenda, for me everything was perfect. All the neighbours, all the people there are so kind. It is my time to give back to the community.
Question: You have done 16 days of racing this year. How do you feel for this Tour?
Tadej Pogacar: Pretty good. Only 16 days of racing, but the training kilometres are also counting. There has been a lot, so I think we are ready.
Question: Cycling is in the middle of a huge revolution in performance knowledge. You do heat preparation, train your gut to be able to eat 120 grams of carbohydrates an hour, do torque, sprint on hypoxia, and so on. What do you think has the biggest benefit at your level? And are you surprised that you are still able to reach your ceiling?
Tadej Pogacar: There are just so many things that you can do for improvement of performance. The science and the coaches are always searching for new ways to improve.
But the biggest advantage for any athlete is that you know when it is enough to stop exploring new things and just stick to what is best for you, and to find the balance between doing too much and doing too little.
There are just so many things you can do for performance. A lot of people come to me, or to anybody, and everybody has different opinions. “Oh, you do that, you do this.” Then you think a little bit: “Yeah, I do this, everything.” I do not have enough time in my day.
We always say that recovery is the most important, but now we are seeing people always pushing more and more. That means maybe recovery time is less and less. Sometimes the best recovery is just to stay on the sofa and do nothing. The most important thing is to find the balance between all these new things that are coming, and try to avoid them. You need to draw the line where the limit is for you.
Question: You were supposed to race the national championships, but in the end you stayed at home. How did that affect your Tour de France preparation?
Tadej Pogacar: I was supposed to go to the national championships, but unfortunately things did not go as planned. The most important thing was to be at home and spend some time together.
I learned a few new dishes and trained with a few friends, but it was good to be together. I think that also helped me prepare for the Tour.
Question: It has been said that this is the strongest UAE Team Emirates – XRG line-up you have had at the Tour. Do you agree with that, and how will that affect your tactics?
Tadej Pogacar: I think we have had a great team all these years. I would never say that we had a bad team. Sometimes you have problems, sometimes riders get injured, and in the end the team can look less strong.
This year, I think it is about the same as last year. Isaac is a very important member of this team. We are aiming to win the Tour de France, and we will try to achieve that. It will not be an easy race, but we have a lot of tactics.
Question: Barcelona is maybe special for you, because you won the Volta a Catalunya in 2024. How do you feel about starting this Grand Depart here in this city?
Tadej Pogacar: I really like Barcelona. It is one of the coolest cities in the world. It is good to be here. It would be better to be here for vacation, but I am really looking forward to the Grand Depart here. I am really excited to race around here.
They are similar roads to Catalonia. These days we are in the same hotel as we were for one stage in Catalonia. It really feels quite familiar. I am looking forward to the start.
Question: You have only done 16 racing days this season, if I understood correctly. The idea was to retain the fun in riding and to keep enjoying racing. Has that worked? Are you enjoying racing more now than you were last year by the end of the Tour de France?
Tadej Pogacar: I enjoy racing all my life. But I must say that maybe I enjoy it more every year because I stay in the same team, with the same riders and people around me.
Every race I feel better to come back, to have a good time with the teammates and the staff. The race is also just there, but mainly I enjoy being in the team and around the guys and having a good time.
Question: What would you wish for Isaac over the next few weeks?
Tadej Pogacar: That he wins the Tour de France.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
claps 15visitors 9
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Well knock me down with a feather!Lozza02-07-2026
- Go Pogi! ❤️Lozza02-07-2026
- I’ve always wondered if Chris Froome doped. He looked superhuman in some of his TdF races. But the new man on the throne is even better. The new Terminator !! I’m ready to be amazed at this year’s TdF again.
PogiFan2Day02-07-2026 - the king of mue'swhkman02-07-2026
- Horner is the greatest advisor no team wants to have.🤣abstractengineer02-07-2026
- If he suddenly becomes better after changing his coach, he will probably kick himself for not having changed teams in 2022abstractengineer02-07-2026
- They have been passengers ever since the rise of Pogi and Jonas, They have never dictated the race ever , always follow the engine of Pogi or Jonas, UAE/Vismaabstractengineer02-07-2026
- rather 5 years of certainty that he was already done. This is him realizing nobody wants him, his GT wins not withstandingabstractengineer02-07-2026
- Let me know when you spew some!frieders302-07-2026
- Cycling fans call it the Dauphiné
Rafionain-Glas02-07-2026
Loading
1 Comments