This thing about the team not supporting him now seems like a discordant refrain. Also because the only one that currently seems superior to the others, the Team Ineos, conspicuously lacks a soloist and the choir by itself can do little if there is no one to finalize its work. And then yesterday having next to you a rock like Majka allowed the yellow jersey to stay covered until he decided to shake up the race.
(Non) official defense
pogacar He cares about his teammates and makes no secret of it.Last year, the theory was spread that he had won alone, remaining hidden until Roglic sank, but that wasn't exactly the case. By re-running the race film, simply by searching by name in the sumptuous archive of BettiniPhoto, it is noted that by recalling their names together, in all the uphill finishes the two Slovenians are always elbow to elbow.
«I want to show that it was not a one-off move – he said on Monday on the rest day – in every race since then, whether it is Liège or Tirreno-Adriatico, I'm leaving to prove my worth and that that victory wasn't a coincidence. If anyone questions what I do or what I say, in any area, I always try to prove them wrong."
Maybe that's why he's not leaving anything to anyone, even if maybe yesterday he would have given Vingegaard a giftWhen he goes to line up with the other jerseys in front of everyone in the morning, the only one he speaks to is the young Dane. Otherwise, Pogacar is a reserved guy and prefers to stay with the team.
«I know what each of the boys does for me every day. – he says – and even last year I wasn't isolated as I often hear people say."
Like when I was a child
One of the funniest questions he answered yesterday after arriving was whether he was having fun. Whoever asked him that didn't realize that... in fact, in his trajectory, the Slovenian has been following the same script for years.
«I run like a child who likes to run – he replied with his smile – I came to the Tour to enjoy it and I realise every day what My coach and sporting director Andrej Hauptman always told me to do: have fun (The real difference between him and Roglic, if you look closely, is that the latter has made the Tour almost an obsession, ed.). For me, cycling is a game. When I'm in a final like the last ones, if I have the legs I'll try to go».
To complete the discussion on his stylistic coherence, it is worth remembering that even when he won Lunigiana as a junior, the Slovenian team was not among the strongest, but Tadej knew how to assert himself by rolling up his sleevesHe finished second on the first day at Bocca di Magra behind Kazanov. On the second day at Fosdinovo, Pronsky won over Battistella, but Tadej took the overall lead. On the third day, still holding the lead, he won the stage and secured the jersey.
Hauptman recalls
His national coach Andrej Hauptman, today also its sports director at the UAE Team Emirates, he is also working with a view to Tokyo and in the meantime he has clear memories and ideas, ever since saw him win his first race at 13 by leaving the group and simply going to the finish line.
«Tadej is a guy with balls – he says – who dares and always tries. However, he doesn't do it recklessly and he knows when to move because he has a great ability to read the raceIt's an innate characteristic that he's always had. After all, as a child he was one of the smallest and to keep up with the others he had to learn to get by with his intelligenceHe's always tried solo shots, and this has allowed him to develop an excellent competitive edge. He's also good in all conditions and doesn't particularly suffer from the cold.
In fact the last stages have shown that the Slovenian in yellow copes better with the cold than with the great heat, but even in this case it's all relative. Except for Vingegaard of Ventoux, on the only day in which Pogacar admitted he had reached his limitEveryone else has been worse than him. In both good and bad times. The standings are a direct reflection of this. Comparisons with the past do not add much to his storyWe'll see how the time trial ends tomorrow, then we'll start talking about Pogacar's second Tour victory.
