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 talking to L’Equipe earlier than his holidays, Pogačar described the route as ‘”fairly brutal,” however was eager to remind people who he has gained the Tour thrice on related 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 severe damage. Pogačar beat his large rivals by 6:27, with Remco Evenepoel a distant third at 9:18.
He and his UAE Group Emirates squad have nonetheless to substantiate their main objectives for 2025. Nonetheless, a fourth Tour victory appears the precedence, maybe adopted by the Vuelta a España.
The 2025 Tour consists of 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 possibilities to the sprinters but in addition 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 fascinating as a result of there are tough phases, there’s additionally the 33 km time trial, which appears to be like fairly good,” an upbeat Pogačar mentioned.
“We then cross France in direction of the Pyrenees, with the primary relaxation day in Toulouse, earlier than attacking some good phases.
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“I particularly just like the Peyragudes time trial, I’ve by no means completed that climb in a time trial earlier than. It will be fascinating to see what occurs however I’ve had good leads to the Pyrenees up to now.”
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 usually flat however the climb could be very onerous, it is for the pure climbers,” Pogačar mentioned. “I like that climb, it is totally different to anything. It will be much more fascinating 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 useless” 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 at all times onerous. The stage to the Col de la Loze is maybe the Queen stage as a result of it has such a excessive quantity of climbing.”
“I feel it’s going to be brutal,” Pogačar mentioned of the climb and the entire 2025 Tour de France.
Pogačar not too long ago signed a brand new contract with UAE Group Emirates that runs till 2030. He has already raced with the group for six years however seems as hungry as ever.
“He’s a born competitor. He has been working onerous for 5 years, I don’t see how he couldn’t get motivated once more. And the terrain fits him nicely, would not it?” Bernard Hinault urged to L’Equipe.
UAE Group Emirates are satisfied that Pogačar remains to be motivated following his dominant 2024 season.
“After a really particular, distinctive, season for the entire group, it isn’t straightforward to breed that. However I am not nervous about Tadej,” directeur sportif Andrej Hauptman informed L’Equipe.
“I’ve identified him since he was a junior and he is at all times been probably the greatest at motivating himself and discovering new objectives. 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! Perhaps even when a race would not swimsuit him in any respect, he’ll wish to win it much more.”
