Pogacar is surrounded by a strong team, including recognized climbers Rafał Majka, Brandon McNulty, Marc Soler and George Bennett. With this, UAE Emirates is putting everything on the third victory in the Tour de France for Pogacar, and less on a day success of the Swiss Hirschi, who is left at home. Matteo Trentin, Vegard Stake Laengen and Mikkel Bjerg are now counted on for the flat and hilly stages.
“It will be my third Tour and I’m looking forward to it again,” Pogacar looked ahead. “We have worked hard all year to be ready. The year has gone according to plan so far and we hope to continue that trend in the Tour. We know it won’t be easy, but that’s part of the magic of the Tour.”
Mollema along with Trek-Segafredo
Trek-Segafredo hopes to make the Danish Tour de France trip into a party with Mads Pedersen. Trek announced Monday which riders will start in Copenhagen on Friday and what the objectives are. “The big goal is to win at least one stage,” said sporting director Kim Andersen.
Bauke Mollema is one of the riders on the hunt for daytime success. He starts his twelfth Tour. As with top favorite Tadej Pogacar’s Team Emirates, the Trek Tour team consists of eight different nationalities. Former world champion Pedersen is the home rider for the first few days.
“It is a clear goal for the team and for Mads that we go for stages in those three days in Denmark,” says Andersen. “First he wants to set up a good time trial in Copenhagen and then maybe win the yellow jersey by means of bonus seconds.”
Andersen also states that the team with Pedersen and the Belgian Jasper Stuyven has two specialists for the fifth stage, which is partly over northern French cobblestones. “Even after that, we often continue to try to participate in escapes. We have smart riders who know what it’s like to win.”
The team also consists of the Italian Giulio Ciccone, the Luxembourger Alex Kirsch, the Let Toms Skujins, the American Quinn Simmons and the Frenchman Tony Gallopin.