"The only time he hit the wind was in the last 10m" - Tadej Pogacar saving energy better than rivals at Tour de France says American ex-pro

Many expected Tadej Pogacar to ignite some of his trademark fireworks on stage 2 of the 2025 Tour de France. Although the Slovenian was typically impressive, finishing 2nd, only beaten by Mathieu van der Poel in a punchy finale, Pogacar was notably quiet. Not making any big attacks, the world champion seemed content to ride the wheels and wait for the final sprint.

Is this a new sign of maturity and patience from Pogacar? Well, according to American ex-pro Tom Danielson, the UAE Team Emirates - XRG leader is doing better than all his Maillot Jaune rivals in conserving energy for the bigger battles to come. "Tadej seemed to race very relaxed and calm," he notes on his X (Twitter) account. "While many expected him to be aggressive in the final, he instead rode only defensive."

"In fact the only time he hit the wind was in the last 10 meters to come alongside of Mathieu van der Poel to challenge for the stage win," continues Danielson. "He looked extremely relaxed and confident in the final and never had to use any energy to comeback from a mistake. Tadej even let Remco Evenepoel close the gap to Jonas when he attacked instead for jumping around him."

Conversely, however, Danielson notes a distinct lack of saving energy from Pogacar's main Maillot Jaune rival, Jonas Vingegaard. "Jonas, in contrast to Tadej, rode his team very aggressively and even attacked himself in the final," Danielson says. "While I think this strategy is the best for Jonas to avoid getting caught out in the chaos of a bigger group in the final, it also may cost him a bit in the TT coming up. Especially since his rival is riding using much less energy."

"Does Jonas look strong? Absolutely," Danielson adds. "He even finished a strong 3rd on the stage going around Julian Alaphilippe in the last kick. But it is possible today’s effort will cost him coming up."