Tadej Pogacar admits mistakes in Dauphiné TT: "But it's okay - that's why we are here, to tune-up before the Tour and improve"

Tadej Pogacar's bid for overall victory at the Criterium du Dauphiné took a hit on Wednesday after a lacklustre performance in the individual time trial. The Slovenian star lost 49 seconds to Remco Evenepoel and 28 to Jonas Vingegaard — his two key rivals, not just this week, but for July’s Tour de France.

After the stage, Pogacar was candid in his assessment, acknowledging that poor pacing cost him dearly. "I didn't do the perfect TT today," the UAE Team Emirates - XRG leader admitted. "I think I probably got the pacing slightly wrong. I started out on the first section a bit too conservative and should have pushed a bit more there."

While the result leaves him with time to make up over the final few stages, the three-time Tour de France champion was quick to downplay the significance of his time loss, insisting that the bigger picture remains all about fine-tuning ahead of the Tour. "But it's okay - that's why we are here, to tune-up before the Tour and improve," he added.

"There are still three big stages to come here and I'm looking forward to it. The team is working well, and with the rivals we have here, it's the best place to test ourselves," Pogacar concluded his assessment.

Pogacar’s comments reinforce the idea that, for many of the top GC contenders, the Dauphiné is as much about preparation as it is about podiums. The Slovenian has only just returned to full race rhythm after a commanding spring campaign capped off by a dominant Liège–Bastogne–Liège win. With the Tour just weeks away, he's clearly still sharpening his edge.

The time loss may put him on the back foot in the GC fight, but in typical Pogacar style, there’s no panic — just quiet confidence that the real targets are still to come.