Tadej Pogačar clinched a historic Giro d’Italia-Tour de France double on Sunday. Despite his visible delight at this achievement, the UAE Team Emirates leader denied any particular interest in studying his own accomplishments in pure cycling statistics.
During the winner’s press conference on Sunday evening, Pogačar was asked about his various new records, including the longest unbroken period in yellow in a single Tour de France in 63 years. He was asked if he regretted letting go of the yellow jersey for a day after stage 2, only to regain it later in the Alps.
Pogačar responded by saying that while he has always been interested in statistics and records, his focus is on those of other riders, not his own. “Let’s talk about Mark Cavendish’s record for a second,” he said, referring to the Briton’s 35th stage win in the 2024 Tour de France. “This is impressive; everybody wanted him to win more, and he never gave up.”
Warming to his point, Pogačar mentioned he had no regrets about losing the yellow jersey to Richard Carapaz for a day, indirectly helping Ecuador to their first-ever leader’s jersey in the Tour de France. “He deserves it,” Pogačar said. “He did a super-good Tour and got the polka dot [King of the Mountains] jersey as well.”
Youngest Rider to Win the Tour de France Three Times
Another journalist pointed out that, apart from the Giro-Tour double, Pogačar is now the youngest-ever rider to win the Tour de France three times at 25 years and 10 months. Eddy Merckx, the next youngest, took his third win at 26 years, 1 month, and 1 day. However, Pogačar reiterated his lack of interest in records for now, saying he prefers to enjoy the moment.
When asked to single out a moment he valued the most from the Tour de France, Pogačar mentioned the stage on the Galibier, his first victory of six, taken solo ahead of his rivals in the first-week Alpine stage. “It was the moment that gave me the most hope and confidence,” he said.
Reflecting on Past Tours
Pogačar shared that his preparation for this year’s Tour started after his first Tour de France defeat in 2022. That year, he had a bad day when Jumbo, Primož Roglič, and Jonas Vingegaard cracked him, which he couldn’t recover from. “I was really motivated to come good in 2023,” he shared, adding that despite breaking his wrist in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, he managed to bounce back this year with perfect preparation.
The month between the Giro and the Tour was crucial for Pogačar. “I tried to relax and recover, spending time with Urška [Žygart], my girlfriend, which helped me switch off,” he said. The couple then went to Isola to start preparing, with Žygart also training for the Tour de Suisse and Nationals.
No Vuelta a España
Though he has no plans for the Vuelta a España, Pogačar is looking forward to the World Championships and the Paris Olympics. “I’m super tired,” he joked when asked about his energy levels, adding that he wants to see family, friends, and stay with Urška to recharge. He concluded by saying that a nice August to relax and prepare for the World Championships would be the perfect end to his season.