News: Tadej Pogačar to work on his time trial

Tadej Pogačar to work even harder on his time trialling for the 2021 Tour de France and says his team is much stronger and will take on more responsibility to help him win again

News: Tadej Pogačar to work on his time trial

Pogačar stunned his rivals in the 2020 Tour de France by taking the yellow jersey in the time trial to La Planche des Belles Filles from countryman Primož Roglič.

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However, the UAE Emirates leader wants to become even better as a time trialist, he said during an online press conference. “What I did that day was not that incredible. I had prepared very well for the time trial, had a great day and the bike change also went well. ” This year the riders in the Tour will face even more time trial kilometres. “I will therefore also train more on the time trial bike in the coming months”, the 22-year-old Slovenian is clear.

According to sports director Allan Peiper, his protege can still improve in terms of aerodynamics. UAE Emirates is also working on a new time trial bike with a view to the Tour de France. Talking about his UAE team, he says “we were already strong last year, but we had two injuries and people went home, so for sure this year, if nothing bad happens, we have a really strong team and can take the responsibility onto our shoulders in fighting for the win.”

“It was quite bad luck for our team last year, but we still proved we can be strong,” Pogačar said in an online press conference. “Coming into this year, without bad luck and even better preparation we can show the world that we can do a proper Tour de France. The team is improving year by year and it’s nice to have these new guys on board” he explained. “The UAE team will be stronger and stronger every year I think. All the team staff, mechanics, masseurs – we’re all on the top level and that makes us a great team.”

“In 2020, Jumbo-Visma was controlling the race. Almost the whole race they were the strongest,” he said. “But I was still attacking a lot, I wasn’t just freewheeling to the finish. I think the strongest in the end won. I don’t know if they made any mistake or if it was just a coincidence to finish like that.”

The winner of the last Tour de France will start his season in the UAE Tour at the end of February, followed by Strade Bianche and Tirreno-Adriatico. In the run-up to the hill classics, he will compete in the Tour of the Basque Country. He then aims for the Tour. The Olympic Games in Tokyo, the European Championship in Trento and the Vuelta a España are also on his list.

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