Tadej Pogacar recalls Col du Granon implosion which decided 2022 Tour de France: "Of course I didn't enjoy that day and it still hurts"

Many will forever remember the Tour de France 2022 fondly and the climax of the battle between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard was on stage 11 to the Col du Granon. The day which may have decided the whole race, Tadej Pogacar now recalls that stage and talks through his tactics and feelings regarding it.

“It is certainly a memorable moment in cycling history. That was it then and people still talk about it today. I'm certainly happy now that I played a leading role in that denouement," Pogacar admitted in an interview with RIDE Magazine. "Nobody wants to lose the Tour. But after last year I also realize that a second place in the Tour is a special result. It doesn't mean you're a bad cyclist or living a bad life when you finish second in the Tour de France. It's not that my life collapsed after that second place. I think if you look at our lives, the vast majority of professional cyclists live a beautiful life and are grateful to perform at the highest level.”

Despite the stage which has caused him to lose 2:51 minutes on the Dane, who then defended himself all the way into Paris, he still recalls the race with a very positive outlook, as ever. On that day he was repeatedly attacked by Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic in the Col du Telegraphe and Col du Galibier, but then the damage was done on the final climb to Granon, with high altitude, heat and and build up of efforts taking him down.

“Of course I didn't enjoy that day and it still hurts, but it must have been great to watch on television. Riding like that is just my way of racing, often based on instinct. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't," he shares. "But I'm not going to change. I will always keep going full throttle. We will use the experience and use the defeat to our advantage in the future. I will return to the Tour this summer with an even stronger mentality and more hunger.”

Now recognizing the danger of a tactic like this, he readjusts towards the 2023 edition. Although on this day little could be done on such a tough ascent, UAE Team Emirates have further reinforced their lineup ahead of the year, and he will be supported by Adam Yates - who finished one position ahead of him that day - in the mountains of the Tour.

“I don't think my team and I need to change much. I had one bad day. Maybe I made a mistake on that climb to the Granon on the penultimate climb (the Col du Galibier, ed.). I made those decisions in the heat of the moment and did what I could do best against two big rivals from the same team. I tried to keep the select group together, but that day Jumbo-Visma was really strong and had one mission: to crack me. They succeeded that one time.”

That one time however was enough. Pogacar from there on attacked on every single mountain stage - and not only - looking to take the time back on Vingegaard, but that proved to be an impossible mission, as the leader of Jumbo-Visma responded promptly to each attack. The balance between the two was notable, and could be the scenario again throughout the coming weeks as a battle between the duo is anticipated.

“Of course there is also disappointment with me if I miss the victory and finish in second place. As I say before, it's not that your life is changed by such a second place. I have a beautiful life. We ride bicycles every day. We cycle with friends. We stop along the way to drink coffee and sometimes eat some pastries. Look, we don't have to sit behind a desk for eight hours. For me it is a victory that I earn my living with cycling and can live this life.”

After a spring riddled with high quality wins in the hills, mountains and even cobbles, Pogacar seems unaffected mentality wise regarding the injury he suffered at Liège-Bastogne-Liège which has hindered his preparation towards the race. Now on the eve of the Grand Depart, he is ready.

"That's right. You must also be a killer. By that I mean that you have to have the adrenaline and racing instincts to win races. Of course I also have days when it's not fun to sit on the bike for six hours. But you can be proud and happy of yourself when you look back at what you have achieved in training or in a competition," he concluded.