Tadej Pogacar demolish where it is possible, constantly putting pressure, so that he does not feel comfortable in any ride and put it on as much loss of time as possible. The Visma team is largely puzzled to make war at the front with leader Jonas Vingegaard every day. Premiers such as Wout van Aert, Edoardo Affini, Tiesj Benoot and Victor Campenaerts are the soldiers who have to help him with that.
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A ‘classic team’ calls first team leader Grischa Niermann, although one thing had had to be done differently in recent years. Since 2022, apart from his participation in Clasica San Sebastian in 2024, Vingegaard rode no classic. The stress on the narrow roads, which they will also have to deal with in the coming week, is not used to the double Tour winner. Although it must be said that the Dane in the first two stages was very alert and in both cases the initiator was to tear things off. But what if he will be compromised? At such a moment he does not have the experience to free himself from it, such as a Mathieu van der Poel, for example.
Tadej Pogacar fluttered carefree
Pogacar also fluttered carefree and the Slovenian has shown itself in the classical work in recent years. He did that with verve and often great display of power. Since 2021 he won nine monuments, the world title, three times Strade Bianche, twice the Walloon arrow and the Amstel Gold Race. The only thing that plays slightly to its disadvantage is that Pogi Instead of four, but three classic riders – Tim Wellens, Nils Politt and Jhonatan Narváez – has at his disposal with his team Uae Emirates. And all three of them dropped a bit during the Tour-Ouverture.
Tadej Pogacar © ANP/HH
Visma-Lease A Bike knows that a big blow has to be made in the first eight to ten days, because Pogacar is considered stronger in the high mountains. In that respect, the Dutch formation has little choice. Pogacar must be hurt on this unpredictable site with a team that was built for this.
Does Tadej Pogacar ever go wrong?
There are examples that the 26-year-old Slovenian makes mistakes when he is under pressure. Tom Pidcock did it earlier this year in Strade Bianche. Pogacar then made a painful slider, although he still won with force majeure. In Paris-Roubaix, Van der Poel (who else?) Was the man who made the world champion nervous. Pogacar went down, after which Mvdp To his third victory soloed.
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These are times when Visma is clinging to the hectic pace of the first days, in which wind and rain can also play an important role. And then there is the flat time trial from Wednesday over 33 kilometers, in which Vingegaard hopes to hand out its arch -rival a gigantic thump. Running after every ride on the rollers therefore also happens on a time trial bike. “To keep a feeling with it,” says Mathieu Heijboer, Head of Performance With Visma, on.
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It used to be said that you cannot win the tour on the ‘flat’, but you can lose it. Visma-Lease A Bike wants to prove all cycling laws in the opposite with Vingegaard. Although Pogacar does not shrink for the time being.