Big doubts around Pogacar, absent from the 2025 Tour de France?

He is undoubtedly the man of this 2024 season. Winner of the Giro, his third Tour de France or even the road race of the Worlds, Tadej Pogacar has signed 25 victories in total this year – from the unheard of to 21^e century. The Slovenian literally crushed the competition, and was recently rewarded with
a new six-year golden contract accompanied by a salary of around eight million euros per year.

And while the route of the Tour de France 2025 was revealed a little over a week ago, Tadej Pogacar is already emerging as the overwhelming favorite to succeed him, for many observers. For his part, Cyrille Guimard prefers to remain cautious. Tadej Pogacar, like his main rival Jonas Vingegaard, may experience injuries and have a truncated preparation, or even be forced to withdraw.

“They say it’s a route for Pogacar, for Vingegaard… but will they be at the start? »

“Is the course suitable for Pogacar? It always suits the strongest, replied Cyrille Guimard to Cyclism'actu. When I was sports director, I started looking at the course three weeks before the Tour, not before. Because you have a first view on the day of the presentation. Then, six months before, you know which riders you are going to select, but three months later you have a third out. »

And to add: “ They say it’s a journey for Pogacar, for Vingegaard… but will they be at the start? So what's the point of making scenarios when you don't even know who the actors are? And what state will the actors be in? » As a reminder, this year, Jonas Vingegaard fell heavily on the sidelines of the Tour de France, with multiple fractures to blame. Which impacted his preparation and prevented him from fighting on equal terms with Pogacar.