Tadej Pogačar was having fun with his low season on a seashore within the Seychelles when the 2025 Tour de France route was unveiled in Paris on Tuesday however he appears to love the mountainous route and even a return to the Col de la Loze.
Apparently chatting with L’Equipe earlier than his holidays, Pogačar described the route as ‘”fairly brutal,” however was eager to remind those that he has gained the Tour 3 times on comparable terrain.
Pogačar gained the 2024 Tour de France with a dominant show from begin to end, as Jonas Vingegaard ultimately struggled after his rushed return from critical damage. Pogačar beat his massive rivals by 6:27, with Remco Evenepoel a distant third at 9:18.
He and his UAE Crew Emirates squad have nonetheless to verify their main targets for 2025. Nevertheless, a fourth Tour victory appears the precedence, maybe adopted by the Vuelta a España.
The 2025 Tour contains summit finishes at Hautacam, Superbagnères, Mont Ventoux, the Col de la Loze and La Plagne, plus the 11km mountain time trial as much as Peyragudes within the Pyrenees. The opening week gives probabilities to the sprinters but additionally a number of uphill finishes and so alternatives for Pogačar to assault.
“It begins with a protracted first week within the north of France. That’ll be attention-grabbing as a result of there are tough levels, there’s additionally the 33 km time trial, which seems fairly good,” an upbeat Pogačar stated.
“We then cross France in the direction of the Pyrenees, with the primary relaxation day in Toulouse, earlier than attacking some good levels.
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“I particularly just like the Peyragudes time trial, I’ve by no means accomplished that climb in a time trial earlier than. It’s going to be attention-grabbing to see what occurs however I’ve had good leads to the Pyrenees previously.”
Vingegaard briefly distanced Pogačar on Mont Ventoux in 2021 however he then closed the hole and went on to win the Tour by 5:20. The Slovenian fears the Géant de Provence however appears eager to focus on it in 2025.
The stage to Mont Ventoux is generally flat however the climb may be very laborious, it is for the pure climbers,” Pogačar stated. “I like that climb, it is totally different to the rest. It’s going to be much more attention-grabbing to see what occurs because it comes after the second relaxation day.”
Pogačar famously cracked on the Col de la Loze within the 2023 Tour de France, saying “I am gone, I am lifeless” over race radio. He’ll maybe have the ability to cancel that second of defeat in 2025, when stage 18 climbs to the two,304m-high summit by way of Courchevel and a 26.2km climb at 6.5%.
“The Alps are all the time laborious. The stage to the Col de la Loze is probably the Queen stage as a result of it has such a excessive quantity of climbing.”
“I believe it will be brutal,” Pogačar stated of the climb and the entire 2025 Tour de France.
Pogačar just lately signed a brand new contract with UAE Crew Emirates that runs till 2030. He has already raced with the workforce for six years however seems as hungry as ever.
“He’s a born competitor. He has been working laborious for 5 years, I don’t see how he couldn’t get motivated once more. And the terrain fits him effectively, does not it?” Bernard Hinault recommended to L’Equipe.
UAE Crew Emirates are satisfied that Pogačar continues to be motivated following his dominant 2024 season.
“After a really particular, distinctive, season for the entire workforce, it is not simple to breed that. However I am not anxious about Tadej,” directeur sportif Andrej Hauptman informed L’Equipe.
“I’ve identified him since he was a junior and he is all the time been among the best at motivating himself and discovering new targets. He is particular: even in a small, flat race, which does not swimsuit him, he’ll attempt to do one thing that nobody expects.
“Typically we even have to inform him to not dash! Possibly even when a race does not swimsuit him in any respect, he’ll wish to win it much more.”
