Based on what criteria does a team like the UAE decide its cyclists for the Tour?
We have already selected the riders at the concentration we held in December, where those from the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta were also selected. The only change we made regarding the initial selection was the absence of Jay Vine for the Giro after the fall he suffered in Itzulia. We have a leader like Pogacar, whom we surround with three runners who are very good in the mountains like Adam Yates, Juan Ayuso and Joao Almeida, two companions who are useful for everyone like Marc Soler and Pavel Sivakov and two more for flat and to fight for position like Tim Wellens and Nils Politt.
How do you see Tadej Pogacar in his fifth Tour de France?
Well, I can see it well. He has fully recovered from the Giro d’Italia effort. It is in good condition. He trained at altitude, spent a week at home and did three quality training sessions at altitude. He will go to the Tour calmly, knowing the good past work done.
That is, he should not be blamed for trying to win the Giro d’Italia.
No, I don’t see him blaming the Giro d’Italia effort.
His great rival in the Tour is, a priori, the winner of the last two editions, the Danish Jonas Vingegaard. When he found out about his inclusion in Team Visma’s lineup, he said that he felt it was right.
Yes, because I think it is the most logical and normal, as well as the best, because he will wear number 1 as the strongest runner from last year, from the last two years. I think we lost one of these two Tours in the Granon stage (2022), yes he really won last year, because he was the strongest in the time trial (stage 16) and the next day.
Where do you think the keys to the race are?
There is no one key, many in many stages. The first two days were very nervous, with the first stage (206 kilometers) not for sprinters but for climbers. The second is more of the same, the third is for a sprint and the fourth (with the first special port of the category, in the always feared Galibier) some of the favorites can already be eliminated. But if I had to say where the key is in this Tour de France, I would say that in the third week. The last three days have been really hard, without forgetting the Pyrenees, and the time trial stages there are.
Does the Tour route fit the characteristics of Pogacar?
I think we will adapt to the Tour. It is not a question of whether we like the route more or less but how we adapt. The Tour is the Tour and it has the route it has, and we choose the team riders based on the characteristics of the stages of the Tour.
Looking at the list of celebrities this year at the Tour, with Pogacar, Vingegaard, Evenepoel, Roglic, Van Aert and Carlos Rodríguez, we may be facing one of those editions where getting on the podium is very expensive.
Yes, definitely, there is a very strong rival. There are six of the best riders at the start, starting with Tadej, who is number 1. There will be Vingegaard, Roglic, Evenepoel and the other two greats, Van der Poel and Van Aert; and if we add to it Jorgenson, Bernal, Carapaz, Kuss, Landa, Yates… This is a race with participation from the best.
Do you see Tadej Pogacar reclaiming the Tour throne?
Tadej is the best cyclist in the world. You have to be respectful to your rivals and you must time your attacks well, your rivals are very hard to beat.
What can the Giro d’Italia bring to Pogacar on the Tour?
This is his first Giro and he won it, and certainly winning the Giro gives him more morale and ambition to achieve his goals.
A priori, what will be the team’s tactics in the Tour? Will you aspire to be an opponent from day one?
We always show our faces when we compete. We will try to control the race, but we know that the first week is very complicated because everyone wants to do the same thing and there is no room for everyone.
Are you happy to win the yellow jersey as soon as you get the chance?
It won’t be an obsession to get the yellow jersey or lose it. It is not obsessed with us. The events that appeared in the race will happen because we created them, but we did not come out with the idea of wearing yellow in the beginning.
In what aspects does Tadej excel as a cyclist?
He has improved in the test of time, in his ability to convince himself, when he attacks he knows that his rivals will suffer and this conviction gives him a security that he does not have until he is proven this.
By the way, what can we expect from Juan Ayuso in his first Tour?
It’s okay, I hope it’s very important for the team and that he continues to make important steps in his sports career in his first Tour.
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.
