Tadej Pogacar eyes Tour de France after Giro d'Italia win - 'If I arrive with these legs, it's going to be just fine'
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Updated 27/05/2024 at 18:50 GMT
Barely an hour after wrapping up a spectacular win at the Giro d'Italia, Tadej Pogacar shared with Eurosport how he plans to tune up for his next objective: the Tour de France. Pogacar's victory at the Giro was his first Grand Tour title since he won the Tour in 2021, and he heads to France aiming to reclaim the yellow jersey from Danish rival and fellow two-time champion Jonas Vingegaard.
Pogacar hoping to 'increase the level' ahead of Tour de France after Giro triumph
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) will head to altitude to "increase the level, if it's possible" as he turned his attention to the Tour de France after his runaway triumph at the Giro d'Italia.
Pogacar topped the general classification by an astonishing 9'56" - the biggest margin of victory since 1965 - ahead of Dani Martinez (Bora-Hansgrohe), with Britain's Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) wrapping up third place a day after his 38th birthday.
"I was out of words that I could be here in front of the Colosseum in Rome, lifting the trophy alongside Dani Martinez and Geraint Thomas," Pogacar told Eurosport.
"It's been a fantastic ride throughout the three weeks. I'm really happy to be alive at this time and doing cycling."
The Slovenian will now shoot for a rare Giro-Tour double last achieved by Marco Pantani in 1998.
Asked about his plans between now and the Tour getting underway on June 29, Pogacar continued: "I think now one week a bit easier, maybe enjoy some coffee rides and some good cake.
"Then go to altitude and push a little bit on the pedals, try to increase the level, if it's possible.
"If I arrive at the Tour de France with these legs that I have now, I think it's going to be just fine. The most important thing is to recover now."
Pogacar is hoping to wrest the yellow jersey from fellow two-time champion Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), who is on the comeback trail after a nasty crash at the Itzulia Basque Country in April left him with multiple fractures.
Meanwhile, Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) and Primoz Roglic (Bora-Hansgrohe) - who both also went down in that crash and have not raced since - are predicted to make it a thrilling four-way fight in France, fitness permitting.
Evenepoel and Roglic were this week named in the startlist for the Criterium du Dauphine, the customary Tour warm-up race which begins on June 2.
Pogacar WILL BE 'EVEN STRONGER' AT TOUR - team-mate MAJKA
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'He never says slow down!' - Majka on working for Pogacar at Giro
Pogacar repeatedly praised the selfless work of his team-mates throughout the three weeks in Italy, with Rafal Majka particularly impressive in the UAE mountain train.
Speaking to former team-mate and Eurosport expert Alberto Contador after the stage, Majka said the team should be even stronger at the Tour and backed Pogacar to get even better.
"We have a strong team for the Tour de France. We have [Joao] Almeida, we have [Juan] Ayuso, we have Adam Yates, a lot of good guys," he said.
"Tadej has finished the Giro d'Italia with good condition. He can rest and he should be good for the Tour - in my opinion, even stronger."
So could Pogacar be tempted for a Grand Tour treble at the Vuelta a Espana, if he also lands the Tour de France in July?
"You never know," said Majka. "It depends from the team, but for me he's a superstar."
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