Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar They are the two great dominators of Tour de France 2023. The Dane is in the lead with 10″ ahead of the Slovenian and both have shown physical abilities in the mountains which, along with the doping scandals of the past, also force them to answer uncomfortable questions.
However, both accepted the question without concern and, in fact, they understood that there was a certain climate of skepticism considering the many doping cases that plagued cycling years ago.
“I get asked this question every year during the Tour and I don’t see any difference in previous years,” said Tadej Pogacar.
“We’re fast, we’re working hard every step of the way. I understand people questioning things because of the past. They’re worried about that and it’s something I can totally understand,” said the Slovenian.
Vingegaard expressed himself along the same lines. “We are really fast. We were faster than the runners before, but our performance was better because everyone around them improved,” he said.
“The equipment, nutrition and training are better than before. But it’s good that people remain skeptical because otherwise it will happen again,” he concluded.
With the sporting rules tight, Vingegaard confidently awaits the decisive week and ensures he is in top form and ready to “follow a plan”.
“I know what I can do and I’m in great shape. I believe in myself and I’m also confident in our plan. We just have to follow it,” said the Tour leader on the rest day.
The aim is nothing more than to reach Paris in yellow next Sunday, but for this he will have to overcome his biggest rivals in important events, such as the time trial on Tuesday.
“I think this is a course that suits me. I like when there are changes in pace and that will be the case this Tuesday. Before the Tour de France, I thought that a time trial later in the Tour would be better for mine, whereas if it would benefit Pogacar earlier. But given the last stages, we are so close that I’m not sure anymore. It would not surprise me if we are also very close tomorrow”, he commented.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
