Tadej Pogacar: "I’m delighted to get my second win here at Tirreno-Adriatico"

UAE Team Emirates have gotten 18 wins already this season and they have largely had a contribution of Tadej Pogacar who has won Tirreno-Adriatico a second time in a row after an ever-dominant performance which replicated his UAE Tour.

“I enjoyed the stage today and in general it was a great week . I was focused right up until the end, as you have to be, as it’s never over until you cross the finish line," Pogacar said after the finish. After winning Tirreno-Adriatico last year, the Slovenian has repeated his success this week in equally impressive fashion by winning two stages and always looking to be in control of the race. After a strong third place in the race's opening individual time-trial, he went on to grab bonifications on both sprint stages that followed, even going on the attack in a seemingly flat finish.

The real prowess came once the race reached the mountains though. Having won the hilltop finish in Bellante he took hold of the race lead, and on the next day in the steep hills of Fermo he controlled the attacks of Remco Evenepoel, albeit having gone off the course briefly. The real challenge would come later on the queen stage to Monte Carpegna, but Pogacar not only resisted the attacks of his rivals, both up and downhill, but left them in his dust when he attacked up the brutal ascent and put on a massive gap in a short time span.

"The two stage victories were very beautiful. Any race where you can get a victory is amazing. I’m delighted to get my second win here at Tirreno-Adriatico. I’ll take a couple of days rest now and look ahead to Milan-San Remo which will be the next challenge," he concluded.

Although initially sounding too ambitious, the Slovenian is setting his sights on Milano-Sanremo now where he will be one of the big favourites taking into account the form he's carried into the season.