Tadej Pogačar clinched a historic Giro d’Italia-Tour de France double on Sunday. But even whereas the Slovenian star was visibly delighted to take one other big step in the direction of all-time greatness within the sport, the UAE Team Emirates chief additionally denied that he was particularly excited about learning his personal achievements when it comes to pure biking statistics.
Speaking within the winner’s press convention late on Sunday night, Pogačar was advised that amongst different new data, his lead from stage 4 to the end in Nice was the longest unbroken interval in yellow in a single Tour de France in 63 years. Did he remorse letting go of the yellow jersey for a single day, he was requested – as occurred after he ceded the lead captured on stage 2 to Richard Carapaz on stage 3 in Turin, previous to regaining it within the Alps – and did breaking data or making historical past give him a specific motivation in biking?
Pogačar immediately turned the query on its head, saying that the truth is whereas he had all the time been excited about statistics and data, it was different riders’ that caught his consideration, not his personal.
“Let’s discuss Mark Cavendish’s report for a second,” he advised reporters by means of instance, referring to the Briton’s thirty fifth stage win within the 2024 Tour de France. “This is spectacular, all people wished him to win extra and he by no means gave up, he went for it, he went for historical past ultimately.
“At first he was not occupied with the report, however then in the previous couple of years when he was successful within the Tour once more, I believe he did. Right now, although – me, I’m all the time excited about seeing different statistics and data, however I‘m not occupied with mine.”
Warming to his level, Pogačar stated he had had no second ideas in any respect about seeing how the 2024 yellow jersey ended up on Richard Carapaz’ shoulders for a day – within the course of, not directly serving to Ecuador to their first-ever chief’s jersey within the Tour de France.
“He deserves it,” Pogačar stated. “He did a super-good Tour and received the polka dot [King of the Mountains] jersey as effectively. It was an unbelievable efficiency for him, particularly as I heard he’d been sick earlier than the Tour and couldn’t put together for it effectively. So chapeau to Richard, he did an excellent Tour and I don’t remorse something in any respect.”
The newest race content material, interviews, options, evaluations and skilled shopping for guides, direct to your inbox!
Pogačar underlined this argument when he was requested by one other journalist about the truth that fairly other than the Giro-Tour double, he’s now the youngest-ever rider to win the Tour de France thrice.
Aged 25 years and 10 months and simply the eighth rider ever to assert a 3rd general victory within the Tour, Eddy Merckx is the following youngest within the report books, having taken his third win at 26 years, 1 month and 1 day. Bernard Hinault was 26 years, 8 months and 5 days previous when he reached the identical milestone, Jacques Anquetil was 28 years 6 months and seven days previous and Miguel Indurain was 29 years and 9 days previous.
It’s absolutely hardly coincidental that each one 4 of the riders following him in that individual statistic have additionally gained 5 Tours de France, however Pogačar reiterated his lack of curiosity in data – at the very least for now.
“Like I stated, I don’t prefer to see myself within the data, statistics, historical past,” he continued. “Maybe in 30 years I’ll take a look at this, however proper now I wish to get pleasure from this second and even when I by no means come again to the Tour de France once more, I might be glad.”
Although it will be vastly unlikely that Pogačar really opted to name time on his profession proper now, there are many different data he has now damaged regardless, fairly other than being the eighth rider to a Giro-Tour double and the primary rider since Bernard Hinault in 1979 to take at the very least six stage wins en path to general victory. (The all-time report for a Tour winner stays eight, for Eddy Merckx in 1970 and once more in 1974).
Pogačar’s complete of 39 days within the Giro and Tour leads is now the best quantity a rider has ever spent heading an general classification in a Grand Tour in a single season, two greater than Eddy Merckx’s earlier prime complete of 37. Furthermore, the UAE Team Emirates chief is the primary Tour winner ever to win the final three phases of a single version, one thing solely beforehand achieved by Charles Pélissier in 1930, though the Frenchman completed ninth general that yr.
Lastly, Pogačar’s and Jonas Vingegaard’s joint run of podium finishes within the prime two highest spots was already a report, and is now prolonged by one other yr. But though his rivalry with the Dane was one of many highlights of the 2024 Tour, as Pogačar advised reporters, he took pleasure in combating all the opposite contenders, not simply Vingegaard, in what he thought of some of the dramatic editions of latest years.
“This yr’s Tour was actually particular for me, however coming into Tour in opposition to Remco, Primož Roglič, Jonas and others, expectations have been excessive, for a giant battle and a giant showdown. We threw so many punches at one another that everyone confirmed balls in some unspecified time in the future, every certainly one of them from first to final. It was an excellent present, and ultimately, I might be completely satisfied and proud that I got here out of this battle because the winner. But the entire of biking can get pleasure from this second, it’s been a fantastic version.”
Asked if he might single out a second from the Tour de France that he valued essentially the most within the final 4 weeks, he answered, “It’s tremendous arduous to do that. Except for being on the rostrum at this time, I believe the stage on the Galibier” – his first victory of six, taken solo forward of his rivals within the crunch first-week Alpine stage – “was the second the place it gave me essentially the most hope, the largest confidence.
“So possibly the Galibier pops into my head, however proper now all the pictures from all of the phases are working in my head, so it’s arduous to pay attention and have a single second as the perfect.”
How Pogačar received right into a place to win the Giro-Tour double will probably be analysed totally within the weeks and months to come back. But within the quick time period at his winner’s press convention, he additionally revealed that in a way the start line for that course of was 24 months previous, going all the way in which again to his first Tour de France defeat by the hands of Visma-Lease A Bike, in 2022.
“For positive this yr my preparation went actually easily. But within the 2022 Tour, I had one unhealthy day, Jumbo and Primož [Roglič] and Jonas actually cracked me rather well. They threw actually nice punches at me and I cracked. So that was one unhealthy day, one mistake in that yr’s Tour, and I by no means might bounce again,” he stated.
“So I used to be actually motivated and actually keen to come back good in 2023, and I gained Flanders and Amstel, Flèche, Paris-Nice earlier than that and my confidence was sky-high. But then I broke my wrist in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, I needed to begin to trip the bike once more just one month earlier than the Tour, so it was actually shit preparation and ultimately, I cracked mentally, bodily and it was not surroundings round me.
“I used to be actually down after that and to bounce again this yr with the proper preparation. I need to say I used to be tremendous completely satisfied I might pull it off.”
Arguably the riskiest level for Pogačar this season got here between the Giro and the Tour, when dealing with that month’s break is vital in having the ability to rebuild effectively for July from the efforts of May.
“It was fairly easy,” Pogačar stated. “I attempted to loosen up and get well, I had a stunning time with Urška [Žygart], my girlfriend, which helped me to modify off. Then we went to Isola to start out getting ready, she was getting ready for the Tour de Suisse and Nationals the place she did a super-good job, she was prime ten in Suisse and gained two Nationals jerseys. This was the sort of preparation we each wished and we gave one another nice assist on this month between Giro and Tour. Then I had a few arduous coaching days and that was it.”
No Vuelta a España however a potential Triple Crown
After the Tour, although, logically, Pogačar is now trying to ease again significantly and his plans, barring the Paris Olympics and World Championships, look to be comparatively lowkey.
“I’m tremendous drained, thanks for caring,” he joked when it was put to him that he by no means appeared to expire of vitality, “that’s why I wish to see some household, my mates, stick with Urška, recharge my batteries. The final 4 months it’s been full fuel for the Giro, full fuel for the Tour, a lot time staying away from residence. And I’m drained.”
However, to return to the data one final time, Pogačar concluded by saying he had no intention of making an attempt to go onto the Vuelta a España, which might have seen him go down as the primary rider in historical past to win all three Grand Tours. That, at the very least in 2024, isn’t going to occur.
“For positive, it crossed my thoughts to do the Vuelta, folks let you know to go do that or that, so in fact it was there. But I’m making an attempt to let it go in a single ear and out the opposite. For me, placing a cherry on prime of this season could be to have a very nice August, to loosen up a bit, to arrange effectively for the World Championships after which give it my all there.”
Should he win in Zurich, in fact, he’d grow to be the primary rider since Stephen Roche in 1987 to take the historic ‘triple crown’ of Giro, Tour and the rainbow jersey. But even simply taking a look at what he is already achieved this season, many would argue his place amongst the greats of the game, to not point out the report books, is already greater than assured.
Get limitless entry to all of our protection of the Tour de France – together with breaking information and evaluation reported by our journalists on the bottom from each stage of the race because it occurs and the times following the ultimate classification tabulations. Find out extra.