Tadej Pogacarbig favorite to take the rainbow jersey, arrived in Zurich for these World Championships. After an already exceptional season, marked by the double Giro–Round, Pogacar will want to put the icing on the cake with these Worlds. At a press conference this Thursday, in the company of Primoz Roglic and the national coach Uros Murnthe Slovenian showed his ambitions.
Video – Tadej Pogacar before the Worlds and Sunday’s race!
“The Worlds? A race apart”
“The rainbow jersey is indeed very special. It is the most unique jersey. Everyone wants it”affirms Pogacar. “He represents the best runner in the world and this World Cup is one of my big goals. If not now, it will be in the years to come. This year, the race suits me better than last year, but the Worlds are a race apart. You race with your brand team for a whole year, and this is with your compatriots.
Tadej Pogacar came to explore the route a few weeks ago and he knows what the route has in store for us. “It’s tricky with a lot of climbs. The climbs are not very long, but the descents are also quite short. You have little time to recover. I think many scenarios are possible. There are many places to attack and make it a difficult race. The race as a whole and the number of kilometers will make the difference.
“Mathieu van der Poel? He’s in good shape”
“We have a strong team, one of the best in the world, with 3 important maps for the finale. This is an advantage, but we have to be careful and we have to run smart.“But Slovenia will face big competition, especially with big teams like the Netherlands and Belgium led by the stars Mathieu van der Poel And Remco Evenepoel. “Mathieu van der Poel? He is in good shape, I think. He has honored this jersey with some great victories. This course is more difficult for him, but I heard that he lost a kilo and a half. Then, he’s prepared well. Of course, I wouldn’t rule him out. On a good day, he’ll be very dangerous.”
And what does he think of the world time trial champion? “It’s looking good for Remco Evenepoel. He handled the pressure and the circumstances well. He’s clearly prepared well and time trials are his specialty, but Sunday will be a different race.”
Remco Evenepoel already has three world titles
Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) is definitely the best rider in the world. His successes Worlds last year and Olympic Games made him a favorite and it didn’t fail. The Belgian increased his lead throughout the course to gain 20 seconds before losing a little at the end. At 24 years old, Remco Evenepoel already has three world titles (2 on the time trial and 1 on the road), he will try to glean a fourth gold medal next Sunday in the road race.
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