Tadej Pogačar is coming into the Tour de France off the again of a latest bout of COVID-19, the Slovenian revealed at a pre-race press convention in Florence on Thursday.
Pogačar hasn’t raced since successful the Giro d’Italia on the finish of Might, whereas his fellow Tour de France contenders – Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel, and Primož Roglič – have all needed to battle again from a mass crash suffered at April’s Itzulia Basque Nation.
He is additionally heading into the race recovering from a setback, although he famous that his bout with the virus wasn’t a critical one.
“It isn’t as critical anymore. Particularly in case your physique already had the virus earlier than and I had it a couple of times,” Pogačar mentioned, revealing that he caught COVID-19 round 10 days in the past. “It wasn’t too unhealthy, identical to a chilly. It handed actually quick.
“I ended for someday after which some rollers inside. Then once I wasn’t sick anymore, I used to be driving exterior.”
Pogačar’s setback is a minor one in comparison with the multitude of accidents suffered by Vingegaard – his nice rival and fellow two-time winner who has not raced for the reason that crash.
Pogačar mentioned that “you are by no means certain” about being prepared for a Grand Tour getting back from harm – as he is aware of all too nicely after fracturing his wrist at Liège-Bastogne-Liège final spring.
The most recent race content material, interviews, options, evaluations and skilled shopping for guides, direct to your inbox!
He did, nonetheless, word that Vingegaard would not be on the Grand Départ this weekend if the Dane wasn’t able to combat him as soon as once more for the yellow jersey.
“It is good to see him at the beginning. I feel he is prepared as a result of in any other case, I do not suppose he’d be at the beginning,” Pogačar mentioned. “It is one thing I am trying ahead to – making an amazing present once more.
“I feel the connection between me and Jonas is one thing extraordinary. It is loopy that we write this historical past ourselves as rivals. I recognize this rivalry as a result of I respect him rather a lot.”
With no main accidents to talk of himself, Pogačar as an alternative has his personal impediment of kinds to beat, having solely accomplished three weeks of racing along with his Giro d’Italia victory a month in the past.
The Giro-Tour double hasn’t been achieved since Marco Pantani in 1998 however, after dominating in Italy, and along with his principal rivals all having endured less-than-ideal lead-ins to the Tour, Pogačar appears to be like to have the strongest probability of any rider prior to now 36 years.
UAE Crew Emirates heads into the Tour de France with one of many strongest GC squads of that point interval, too, with Juan Ayuso, Adam Yates, and João Almeida headlining his help workforce. Pogačar known as his workforce “one of many strongest groups ever” on the race.
“Our workforce I feel is tremendous sturdy,” he mentioned. “We’ve one of many strongest groups ever within the Tour, I might say. Climbing-wise we now have superstars, so I am actually honoured to have them as teammates.
“Additionally, we now have a very sturdy workforce for the flat and technical components as nicely. I feel we might be assured on this workforce. I am tremendous completely happy and honoured to have them as teammates.”
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 extra. Discover out extra.
