"The Tour is a different story completely" - Pogacar plays down pre-Tour dominance from Jumbo-Visma
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar will go into the Tour de France as a defending champion of the last two editions, but he will face competition from Jumbo-Visma once again, competition perhaps that is superior to any team he's faced in the past.
“I’ve been off for the last two months. But I’m happy to be racing again in one of the most beautiful countries in the world," Pogacar said in a pre-race conference at the Tour of Slovenia where he will be racing this week.
Last year Pogacar opted for an alternative path into the Tour de France via his home race, and this year he will repeat the preparation. He explains why: "I don’t need seven days or nine days of racing before the Tour. I focused on my training to do my home race, to have fun here and go relax before the Tour."
However, he adds that "for sure in the future also Dauphine or Swiss will come on my calendar." Pogacar will be the clear favourite to take the overall win, as he has last year. “The UAE team is very strong and it wants to be and stay on the top of all the races. In three weeks’ time we will go to the Tour de France and that is the most important event. But this is an exceptional opportunity to prepare for the Tour de France…and our goal is to win," he said.
On the back of his head, and in the questions of every reporter, will be Jumbo-Visma and their dominance at the Critérium du Dauphiné. “Jumbo showed that they are really strong. Jonas and Primož they went really, really strong on the climbs. For sure it was some sort of statement, some reference," Pogacar had to say.
In the coming month the trio will race for the first time together in 2022, and they will be the three main favourites for the overall win. "But I’m not surprised. It’s what’s expected. For sure they will watch also Tour of Slovenia and their competitors here. But. The Tour is a different story completely," Pogacar was keen to point out.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- He lives in Monaco
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - It's also highly significant for Lorenzo Finn as he won there last year. Also Mateo Ramírez and Henrique Bravo if they goRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- This is a phenomenal course design. I do wish that they'd stretch these tours for the women to at least 2 weeks.RidesHills03-11-2026
- This is an amazing route, honestly. Let's hope that it attracts riders to make it a compelling and competitive race. Side bar amusement: going to Slovenia and passing pretty close to Pogačar's house. I wonder if they were tempting him to get all 3 jerseys at once after winning the Tour and Vuelta. After all, only a very few have ever had all three at the same time (Froome being the last).RidesHills03-11-2026
- He was a child two years agoRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- A great route aswell. Col d'Arpy is a toughieRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- Let Torito have a shot at itRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- A great route, much more exciting than the Tour de France. Monte Livata is an interesting one, because they experimented with it at the 2026 Baby Giro, and it was fantastic. 4 km at 10%, then 10 km at 6.5% made for a great spectacle. The stage 16 is horrible. Montaner is also used in the U23s, in Giro del BelvedereRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- I remember when Mark went through that. He was really experiencing lows and thought about quiting many times. It took him a long time to recover. I, like many others were overjoyed when he came back. I hope Lafay has been tested. I wish him the best.Paggss03-11-2026
- That sucks for him. I've always wondered what guys like him do after retiring from cycling - go back to uni? He's still a very young manCrashjames03-11-2026
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