Tadej Pogacar focuses on the big picture on Vingegaard battle: "Even if I beat him, it would have no impact on the Tour de France"

It will not be the first time that Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard will meet after the Tour de France, but Paris-Nice should provide that first battle. However, the Slovenian is keen that what matters is the summer, and that this week won't change things.

"To be honest, I feel a little less strong than last year at the start of the season. I haven't done any training at altitude yet, because I don't want to be mentally exhausted in May," Pogacar told L'Équipe. "I I therefore preferred to start the year quietly to be able to go the distance. This is also why I decided to modify my program at the start of the season, to discover other things."

Pogacar has, despite a "quiet" start to the season, won the Clásica Jaén Paraiso Interior and the Vuelta a Andalucia with little fight. He's skipped his traditional early-season races for a different calendar. One that by no means is less difficult, and one which will see him face Jonas Vingegaard at Paris-Nice throughout eight days.

"I like when the challenges are tough. And in terms of difficulty, it seems that Paris-Nice is very well placed, with bordures, bad weather, traps. But it's going to be very fun," he anticipates. "The course is really interesting, with in particular a time trial by teams, and Sunday's stage in Nice which I really like. There are possibilities of launching an offensive from afar on this stage, especially if the weather is bad. The race will be undecided until the end".

The UAE Team Emirates leader will have nowhere near the same support in the mountains, but looks to make good use of his form. Vingegaard has shown equally impressive form at Gran Camino where he dominated all three stages. Now the two meet in France once again.

"I am very excited at the idea of confronting him, he has shown that he is very strong, that It's going to be a great fight, but it's not a rivalry like everyone says. The fact that he's there doesn't change the way I'm going to race. And even if I beat him, it would have no impact on the Tour de France," Pogacar admits.

There will be two summit finishes in the race including the long Col de la Couillole. However, it's a race that features two more stages where attacks are likely and a long team time-trial. A true test for teams' and riders' abilities to ride for the overall classification at their best level.

"Summer is still a long way off. Beyond Jonas, the whole Jumbo-Visma formation is solid, we have been able to realize this in the last races. With the team, we have studied their way of doing things a lot. I am sure that we have the cards to shake them up tactically and prevent them from being dominant like on the Tour last year. are just the legs that talk, and I hope to have them to answer them," Pogacar concluded.