"The whole week was extraordinary" - After Catalunya success, Tadej Pogacar heads to altitude ahead of Giro d'Italia

Tadej Pogacar started his season off with a blast, winning Strade Bianche and the Volta a Catalunya alongside four stages - and a podium at Milano-Sanremo where he was the absolute headliner. No matter where he goes, the UAE Team Emirates rider attracts all the attention; and now he will do so at Sierra Nevada where he will spend the next three weeks.

"I'm going to Sierra Nevada today. I stay there for almost three weeks, and then to Belgium," Pogacar told RTV Slo. "One week of a little rest, and then after, the preparations for Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the last preparations for the Giro d'Italia itself." Little time to rest or celebrate from his most recent win in Spain, in a race where he virtually had no competition. Pogacar could not win Milano-Sanremo, but could've hardly had a better start to the season.

"This start to the season and the performance shows that I am in great shape and on track for the Giro-Tour," the Slovenian believes. Although he's had a busy few weeks, there won't be much rest, as he heads into southern Spain for an altitude camp with a few teammates. He's aiming to win Liège-Bastogne-Liège before taking to the start of the Giro d'Italia in good form - just as Remco Evenepoel did last season.

"I already confirmed my good form at Strade Bianche and Sanremo, but this was a very different course," he says of Catalunya, where he dominantly won all three mountain stages. "Lots of climbs and descents. The whole week was extraordinary, not only for me but for the whole team."