CYCLING – A setback in the preparation for the challenge of his career. Two days before the start of the Tour de France, Saturday June 29, the favorite Tadej Pogacar revealed on Thursday that he is just recovering from Covid. “I got sick ten days ago. I had Covid, it was a bit of a question mark but I recovered well and I’m fully recovered”assured the Slovenian during a press conference.
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“It wasn’t that bad. It was just a cold that passed pretty quickly, he developed from Florence where the start of the Grande Boucle will be given. Covid is no longer as virulent as before, especially if you have already had the virus before. I’ve already had it once, maybe twice even, I don’t remember. »
The 2020 and 2021 winner fell ill during a training camp at Isola 2000. He “stopped for a full day before returning to cycling, first on the rollers indoors, then outdoors”. Another setback disrupted his preparation elsewhere ” perfect “ : the death of his grandfather. He went to the funeral in Slovenia.
Pogacar ready for the Giro-Tour de France double
Second for the last two years behind the Dane Jonas Vingegaard, the 25-year-old Slovenian aspires to become the first rider since Marco Pantani in 1998 to complete the Giro-Tour double in the same year. “The Giro-Tour double is difficult to achieve. It’s a big challenge but I’m ready to take it on”he said Thursday.
In May, he crushed the competition by winning the Tour of Italy with almost ten minutes in advance. Meanwhile, his main rivals, Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic were licking their wounds after a heavy collective fall at the Tour of the Basque Country. Everyone designated him as the big favorite for the Tour, starting with Evenepoel who judged him “unbeatable” if he remains ” safe and sound “.
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