After Tadej Pogačar took full management of the Tour de France within the first week, even a number of the finest riders on the planet have been compelled to concede already that he’s merely in a league of his personal, with Tobias Halland Johannessen – sixth place general from final 12 months’s Tour – describing him as „only a freak of nature.“
For Johannessen, who’s ranked because the twentieth finest rider within the UCI rankings, sits eleventh general heading into stage 10 of the Tour, and has completed within the high six of three levels already, the Slovenian is already out of sight within the race for the yellow jersey.
Pogačar lies 2:42 forward of Jonas Vingegaard in second place, and he retook management of yellow from Johannessen’s Uno-X Mobility teammate Torstein Træen on stage 6 following a complete destruction of the Col du Tourmalet. It was an enormous loss for the Norwegian workforce, with the previous race chief compelled to desert because of a crash, however with Johannessen, they nonetheless have hopes within the GC and within the hunt for stage wins.
„I really feel prefer it was a tough day for us, in fact, particularly with Torstein and the crash, and we have misplaced him now on the bus. He is a pleasant man to have within the workforce, however nonetheless we glance again on a few particular days,“ Johannessen informed Cyclingnews earlier than stage 8.
„I feel most likely Pogačar will carry the jersey till Paris. So there aren’t many others who can benefit from the yellow jersey this Tour, so that also offers us some goosebumps pondering again on these days.“
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Two years in the past, Johannessen described being caught and handed within the breakaway on stage 15 by Pogačar and Vingegaard as „like I do not do the identical sport as them,“ expressing the gulf in climbing energy from the highest two to the remainder.
In 2026, Johannessen is equally sturdy in his evaluation of the very high riders, admitting that as a workforce, they are not actually Pogačar anymore. Johannessen will begin the tenth stage virtually 10 minutes behind him already.
„He is only a freak of nature. He is such bike rider, and it is also simply the way in which he would not crash, he would not get sick; he has the entire package deal,“ mentioned Johannessen.
„It is motivating to see that it is attainable, however I really feel like we’re nonetheless lagging a bit behind. So the race will not be actually about Pogačar for us; now we have to race for the positions behind, however there are nonetheless some stage wins up for grabs, and that is what we’re making an attempt to goal for.“
Uno-X have impressed all through their first and now their second Excursions, successful a stage with Jonas Abrahamsen final 12 months, ending within the high 10 with Johannessen, and carrying yellow with Træen, and whereas they are going to stay the attacking outfit they’ve come to be often called, Johannessen famous how a lot affect Pogačar and UAE may have on their targets.
What to learn subsequent
Even with out making an attempt to race, particularly, for a GC place, chasing breakaways within the second and third week would require mercy from biking’s high workforce, who appear to be decided to win on virtually each event they will with Pogačar or Isaac del Toro.
„I really feel like we’re a workforce that likes to be energetic, and we present that now we have a very good sprinter in Wærenskjold, however I really feel such as you get a bit bored if it is simply the sprints,“ he mentioned.
„We simply must make some dynamics to the bike race, and that is the place our workforce thrives probably the most, I feel. I really feel like usually we have to begin the stage earlier than you’re feeling how the race shall be as a result of it is not arduous to guess what Pogačar and UAE will do.
„You’re feeling the strain within the peloton, and then you definitely see the chance; you need to have that intestine feeling, and it must be proper; in any other case, you are simply losing energy.“
In principle, stage 10 to Le Lioran might be a day for Johannessen to chase a win from the break, however Pogačar – a lot as he says he is not – will certainly wish to take revenge for his loss on the identical location again in 2024 to Vingegaard. If allowed the liberty, Uno-X ought to thrive on the Tour, however everybody shall be preventing towards the all-consuming nature of UAE Group Emirates-XRG to take action.
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