Tadej Pogacar rues missed opportunity to take pink jersey at Giro d'Italia: "Unfortunately, on the last climb I had to attack from the foot"
CyclingSunday, 05 May 2024 at 15:48
Tadej Pogacar was the man to beat on the opening day of the Giro d'Italia, and UAE Team Emirates took full responsibility. All the work did not end on a win, but the Slovenian did already take time on all his rivals for the overall classification.
"It was a short, fast first day of the Giro. We tried to check the ride, but it wasn't our day. However, I think we still did well, especially for such a first day of a long Grand Tour," Pogacar said in a post-race interview. "These are always 50-50 days: some riders have a hard time, others have a harder time. You can also see that in our team."
UAE worked throughout the whole day to fatigue the climbers and classics specialists, with the goal of making the difference on the final climb. In a way, it backfired, as the lack of men following the penultimate ascent led to attacks coming off the front. This forced UAE into burning off the rest of their men until the base of the final hilltop, where Pogacar had to to the work on his own.
"Unfortunately, on the last climb I had to attack from the foot, where Narváez was also very strong and could follow my wheel. The gap to the group in front of us was too big and I had to give everything to close it. The fact that I managed to drop all the GC riders is a good signal from my legs." However when it came to the stage win, Narváez managed to follow, and Max Schachmann took advantage of the lead he had coming into the climb to then link up at the front. This proved a challenge for the UAE Team Emirates rider in the final kilometer as he wanted the stage win.
"When we got to the top, I knew Narváez would be difficult to drop. It has also been a while since I sprinted with three people and I started too early," he admits, having reacted to the move of Schachmann right away. But this allowed Jhonatan Narváez to follow the wheel and then sprint to victory. "My legs were good, but he was just faster than me. I didn't have much of a chance, but I can look back on a good effort."
When it comes to the ultimate goal of the overall classification however, it is very much a complete victory today, taking 14 seconds on most of his rivals; but even more on Romain Bardet and Thymen Arensman
"Step by step, day by day, things will get better. The stage towards Oropa suits us better on Sunday, but we first have to see how the legs feel after the recovery from this first stage," he anticipates. "I'm looking forward to a beautiful Giro. It was a nice start here in Torino, with a lot of nice people. I enjoyed that."
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- and in true form to this site, again a slightly misleading headline. it low key makes it seem AK is pissed, but the reality is he gets it. what a great team player he is. wish he could get one more.mij17-06-2025
- what is the point of this?mij17-06-2025
- You don't have to be a fool to be an ex-pro-turned-commentator, but it seems to help.Renz17-06-2025
- I said, "such as," as in a group—any group—with enough budget to be real, and obviously one with better moral high ground than UCI, who is patently obvious in their pursuit of exacting maximum profit for themselves regardless of how it effects the riders. Sub in any other consortium you like.itsent17-06-2025
- Great role model.
santiagobenites17-06-2025 - Boy, the guy on the left must be pretty good if he can wipe the floor with all but onewithout looking like he’s racing.Mistermaumau17-06-2025
- “Our” writers?Mistermaumau17-06-2025
- Thanks for showing me the way, DadMistermaumau17-06-2025
- Funny how that’s lost on people who feel it’s about who’s right when there is no right or wrong, everyone was free to make their own choices.Mistermaumau17-06-2025
- Geraint Thomas was very surprised at UAE's obnoxiously foul tactics - "Speaking of BRAINFARTS..." he said. And very lethal brainfarts they were - Richie Carapaz got hit right in the face. Look at his expression when Del Toro asked him to ride - he was LIVID. Fortunately, Yatesy dodged the brainfarts... who knows what might have happened otherwise...
Llywelynglyndwr16-06-2025
Yeah. He's not the only GC contenders to spend some energies in the first stage race at the Giro, this is only just the start of a long marathon
There is no wasting of energy. Its the same energy that the other GC contenders would have expended in chasing him. This was only a small hill
I wonder what Buchmann would say about Schachmann?
Will someone dare to ask him for comments on the Giro the next few weeks?
For everyone shitting on Pogi's ride today. One of the Pogi Team junior members died very recently in an accident and Pogacar wanted to perform for him today...
Only 3rd on the stage and only 14 seconds on his GC rivals. This is what Pogacar weakness looks like😆
Or Pogacar could be as sly as a fox. Part of cycling is "sandbagging" it and feigning weakness or vulnerability so you can follow the wheels of the other teams and riders.
Ineos did days of work for Geraint Thomas and then Roglic took the pink at the end in the time trial last year.
I would rather be Pogacar today, looking rather human, than the pink jersey defender for the next three weeks. If Pogacar had taken the pink today and then finished second or third his detractors would be banging on their keyboards. We remember the eventual winner and vaguely remember stage winners.
Good for Narvaez as he showed himself, his country and his team well today.
😆
Look, it’s possible and each race is different but are you now saying Rogliç waited until the last moment to pull out his ace, coz no-one in cycling takes that much risk if they know they’re strong enough to win.
Beaten by the better rider today so just admit it. Narvaez deserved the win and we have waited all season for someone to beat Pog on a short steep climb. Good result for Schachmann too. Like Ben+100 said Pog thought he would have 21 pink jerseys (might still have 20 though).
He'll be in a better position tomorrow. I was surprised he tried today.
He thought he'd have 21 pink jerseys... Also, good for Schachmann.
He never thought or claimed that. He has publicly pushed back on some of the coverage as insulting to the other riders.
I am sure he expects to win but he knows it won’t be easy even against a weaker than average field.
Ah! That's why he went for it and lost intentionally.
I don't know why he waste so much energy and fooling himself for nothing. Now I come to conclusion that; even if he won 2 GT, he didn't have the mentality of proper GC rider. Since 2021, he waste too much energy on the first week of the races for getting minimal sec/wearing a leaders Jersey. Is this coming from over confidence or not believing in his own climbing ability or technical managers told him to do or not believing in his team ? I don't know. Anyways, this not the mentality of proper GC man. Let first week for punchuers and for sprinters, your time comes on high climbs and TTs (why he's impatient with it?). He'll win the Giro that's for sure but the question is how much energy is wasted. They only select one climbing domestique for him (what a joke) and shown us how venerable they are (I wonder how much on high mountains).
This guy have the capacity to win many GTs but not with this mentality.
As his's fan, I'm really worried about his carrier on GTs. With this aggressiveness he might not winning TDF again.
How about arrogance?
He's 25, he has time to grow.
Its indeed
Just amazing how you know so much more...do not change your day job.Leave it up to the REAL experts.
He’s one of those guys who can be his own worst enemy sometimes
Agreed. For the life of me don't understand why he burns so many unnecessary matches. Wait to land 1 or 2 lethal blows. Save himself on all the other days.