Tadej Pogacar: "I’d love a rainbow jersey with UAE Team Emirates on it"

Tadej Pogacar has skipped the Vuelta a Espana with a clear goal in his mind: the World Championships in Wollongong. With a suiting route, the Slovenian is looking to get his season back on track in Canada, having rainbow ambitions for later in the year.

“I cannot wait to go to Australia again and have a good time. I made my WorldTour debut with UAE Team Emirates down there,” he said in a press conference ahead of the Canadian classics. “I don't know what to expect at Worlds. Maybe a small breakaway gets away or there’s a small bunch. A lot could happen. It’s gonna be a really tough, complicated race with a lot of smaller climbs and a lot of corners and everything. I don’t know what to expect really, so many riders could win."

Pogacar, despite being just 23, had wins to his palmarès at the Strade Bianche, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Il Lombardia, making him much more than just a world-class stage-racer and time-trialist. He has proven to be one of the world's best in short climbs, and carries a sprint that can equally see him being a threat to the likes of Wout van Aert and Michael Matthews on such a tough race. Since the Tour he's had an unusually low period, with a DNF at Clasica San Sebastian, an 89th spot at the Bretagne Classic, and this Friday a 24th place at the GP de Québec.

“I have some experience in one-day races, but still, it’s not my territory. I’m still more confident with one-week races and Grand Tours," he said. The fatigue from the Tour de France seemed to have taken a toll on him, as it did on Jonas Vingegaard who is yet to return to competition. Pogacar is eyeing big for the final part of the season however, and he is trying to recover his best form.

"One-day racing is fun racing, it’s interesting and exciting. I never know what to really expect on the day. It’s like gambling.... I’d love a rainbow jersey with UAE Team Emirates on it," he concluded. The Slovenian will travel back to Europe after today's race, and posteriorly fly into Australia in preparation for the Worlds.