The Vuelta Riding was therefore not an option for Pogacar, although it was still being played on that last winter. After a long spring and a tough tour, the Slovenian is a bit off. The world champion even said on Saturday that he is counting down the years until his retirement.
“Being Pogacar is fun, but not easy,” said Gianetti during the Tour of Poland Cyclingnews and Domestique. “There is a lot of pressure on him when he drives; everyone expects that he is strong, win and offers a spectacle. It is therefore important that we manage that well, because he is not just a rider.”
Tadej Pogacar reports ek participation and hints on early retirement: ‘Ben counting the years’
Fingered favorite for Vuelta, or …?
“He drove everything: Strade, Flanders, Roubaix, Amstel, Liège – that is a huge challenge,” said Gianetti. “From the outside, people may see Paris-Roubaix as just a one-day race, but it costs a lot more energy and mentally much more energy than a trip race of a week. That is why it was not feasible to also drive the Vuelta.”
Due to the absence of Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) is a top favorite in the Vuelta, but Gianetti emphasizes that UAE also has strong assets. Ayuso and Almeida both have to put something right after bad luck in earlier big rounds: Almeida dropped out in the Tour, Ayuso in the Giro.
“Ayuso is motivated and wants to show himself. He has already finished third in the Vuelta and will share the leadership with João Almeida. We come up with a motivated and strong team, and the opposition is great. It will be an interesting match,” says Gianetti.