"We were optimistic all winter that we could offer a better race" - Zeeman looks back at Jonas Vingegaard's first battle with Tadej Pogacar

Mixed reactions emerged from the Jumbo-Visma camp after this Paris-Nice, as Tadej Pogacar put on a performance that could not be matched by anyone, including main rival Jonas Vingegaard.

“Jonas has never won a week-long WorldTour race. That was a goal after winning the Tour. We were optimistic all winter that we could offer a better race," team DS Merijn Zeeman told Langs de Lijn. "But after the altitude training in Tenerife, he had some private matters, which threw him backwards and he wasn't at his very best last week."

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The run-up to the French race wasn't ideal for the Dane, however at Gran Camino - despite the modest field - he won all three stages and showed he had good form. It was expected that the two would have a tight battle in the 'Race to the Sun' but what ended up happening was that Vingegaard did not have a gear to keep up with the Slovenian, who has not yet been training at altitude.

Although in the queen stage to the Col de la Couillole it was more balanced, on La Loge des Gardes and the Col 'Èze - more explosive climbs - Pogacar was on a much superior level. It was a comfortable and dominant GC win which also saw stage wins in all three mountain stages. Throughout the whole week the team and Vingegaard pointed out the main goal was the Tour de France, but the psychological strike was successful from UAE Team Emirates.

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On the other hand, the team received great news from Tirreno-Adriatico as Primoz Roglic returned to racing and also won all three mountainous and hilly stages, before sealing the overall classification win. It was an unexpected turn of events as Roglic was not even initially set out to race in Italy.

"He's just a very special athlete who, besides being very strong, also knows very well what he can and cannot do," Zeeman commented. "The fact that he won three stages and the general classification was a huge surprise for us. But a very pleasant one."

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Heading towards the cobbled classics the team has a massively strong block, however the focus here was on the Grand Tours. “The Giro is also a very special race for us. We have now won both the Tour and the Vuelta, but we have never won the Giro. So that is a very important goal. For Primoz too, by the way, because the last time trial ends very close to Slovenia," he shares.

Whilst Vingegaard will take on a leading role at the Grand Boucle Roglic will be one of the main favourites for the Giro, where he's expected to battle Remco Evenepoel. "They expect the whole country to turn out. And later comes the Tour that Jonas will focus on later. And a few more, such as Wout van Aert. But normally Roglic doesn't ride a Tour," he concluded.

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