Tadej Pogacar: "We worked perfectly and everything went as we hoped"

Tadej Pogacar has been an overwhelming figure this season so far, comfortably winning the UAE Tour, it's two mountain stages, Strade Bianche, and now the first hilly stage at Tirreno-Adriatico.

“After the great work by the whole team, today I could only try to win and give my best. We worked perfectly and everything went as we hoped," Pogacar said. After going on the attack in the opening days of Tirreno-Adriatico, not being afraid of spending unnecessary energy, Pogacar has today got the real reward by netting the stage win and the overall classification with another fearless performance.

Pogacar joined attacks both times after the finish line in Bellante in the final circuit, putting in some energy that wouldn't prove costly at the finish. In the final climb he covered the attacks of Remco Evenepoel, Richie Porte and Victor Lafay at least before putting on an attack of his own within the final 500 meters, unmatched in the peloton.

"There are still three important stages in where we need to work hard, both tomorrow and especially in the one after which will be the queen stage. We have to stay focused and give our best,” he concluded.

At Fermo and Carpegna, the next two stages, the overall classification will be decided and Pogacar is in pole-position. Remco Evenepoel and Tao Geoghegan Hart are his closest rivals at 9 and 36 seconds respectively.