(Copenhagen) Primoz Roglic must find a way to prevent his Slovenian rival Tadej Pogacar from winning a third consecutive Tour de France.
Posted at 2:36 p.m.
If Pogacar remains the favorite to win, Roglic hopes he can complete his hat trick on French soil this season during the Grande Boucle, which gets underway on Friday in Denmark. The Tour de France will culminate on the Champs-Élysées, in Paris, on July 24.
Pogacar won the Tirreno-Adriatico and the Tour of the United Arab Emirates earlier this year, and showed that he belongs to a unique class by launching a long solo attack which allowed him to win the Stade Bianche in March – even if he had suffered a fall earlier during the one-day classic.
“I’m in good shape, quite similar to last year,” Pogacar said on Thursday. I’m more confident, and I feel stronger, but we’ll see during the race if that’s the case or not. »
PHOTO MARCO BERTORELLO, FRANCE-PRESSE AGENCY
Tadej Pogacar won the Tirreno-Adriatico and the Tour of the United Arab Emirates earlier this year.
For his part, Roglic won the Criterium du Dauphiné earlier this month and scored a dramatic victory at the Paris-Nice Classic in March.
Roglic fared well in the Dauphiné with the help of his Jumbo-Visma teammate Jonas Vingegaard, a climber who is also a speed trader.
Vingegaard was obviously moved when Danish cycling fans chanted his name at Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen on Wednesday. They will cheer him on again on Friday in the time trial in the Danish capital.
“As long as we work together, we will have the opportunity to defeat him (Pogacar), said Roglic. We are a formidable team, and we have a whole arsenal. »
Jumbo-Visma are counting on Vingegaard, who finished second in the Tour de France last year, as the team’s comedian should Roglic ever get into trouble, while Pogacar remains the spearhead of UAE Team Emirates .
“It’s very different to be two against one. A lot can happen in the Tour de France, because there is a lot of stress involved, explained Vingegaard. We want to bet on comedians, and we believe we can compete with Pogacar. »
They really bonded during the Dauphiné, sharing a few beers on the balcony of their hotel after certain stages.
“Jonas is very powerful. We are powerful individually, but also as a team, explained Roglic. We have become very good friends. »
Roglic has won the last three Tour of Spain, but he is best remembered for his heartbreaking loss to Pogacar at the Tour de France in 2020.
The Grande Boucle will once again visit the cobblestones of the Paris-Roubaix Classic and will include six stages in the mountains, five of which will culminate there — including Alpe d’Huez and its 21 hairpin bends.
But before reaching the snowy peaks, the peloton will first have to visit the little mermaid of Copenhagen, as part of the 13 km individual time trial scheduled for Friday.
“I’m super proud to be here,” exclaimed Danish cyclist Jakob Fuglsang. I am proud to be able to introduce my country to my teammates and other cyclists. »
It should be noted that four Canadians, including three Quebecers, will participate in the Tour de France this year. They are Antoine Duchesne, from Saguenay, Hugo Houle, from Sainte-Perpétue, Guillaume Boivin, from Longueuil, and Michael Woods, from Ottawa.