"I've always wanted to race the Giro d'Italia, and now I think I'm at the right age to do the two Grand Tours. I feel ready for this new challenge." After yesterday's announcement by the organizers of the Giro d'Italia, Tadej Pogacar, in a press conference from Spain where he is training, confirms that he will be at the start of the 'pink race'.
His goal is clear, he aims to win both in Italy and in France in the same year, a feat that Marco Pantani last achieved in 1998. Fausto Coppi did so in 1949 and 1952, Jacques Anquetil in 1964, Eddy Merckx in 1970, 1972 and 1974, Bernard Hinault in 1982 and 1985, Stephen Roche in 1987 and Miguel Indurain in 1992 and 1993.
Other cycling champions, such as Contador, Froome, Dumoulin and Nibali, have tried in the new century, without success. Now it's Pogacar's turn, and to help him his team, the UAE, let it be known that he will send a real 'Dream Team' to the Giro, with teammates of the calibre of Adam Yates, Juan Ayuso, Joao Almeida, Pavel Sivakov, Tim Wellens and Nils Politt. The Giro will take place from 4 to 26 May, the Tour from 29 June to 21 July. And that's not all, because Pogacar is also aiming for the podium, if not the gold medal, in the Paris Olympics on August 4, even if the track does not seem particularly suitable for his characteristics. "Tadej is 25 years old, he needed a new challenge and he is ready to accept it," said Joxean Fernandez Matxin, sporting director of the UAE-sponsored team. He's ambitious, and if there's anyone who can do it, it's him. He's the greatest rider I've ever seen in my entire career. It's special." So, since 'Pogi' is also aiming for the pink jersey, he will change his preparation by upsetting the program that usually leads him to shine since February-March and on all terrains. "We reduced our schedule at the beginning of the season," Matxin said. So no more tests like the tour of the Emirates, and the Paris-Nice or the Tirreno-Adriatico. And also no Tour of Flanders, won brilliantly this year. Pogacar is expected to start his season in Italy at Strade Bianche on March 2, before continuing on to Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Catalonia and possibly Liège-Bastogne-Liège. "'Next year there will be a lot of pasta and pizza on the menu,' jokes Pogacar, explaining that he will spend a lot of time in Italy, "also for reconnaissance" in preparation for the Giro, where, according to Matxin, "he will clearly aim for victory", before carving out a month to train at altitude to prepare for the Tour de France, which remains a fundamental goal. "It wasn't planned that I would miss the Tour, I know how important this race is for me and my team," Pogacar said. So let's be clear that I want to regain first place at the Tour. But one day, sooner or later, I'm going to skip it, because not everything revolves around the Tour either." The Slovenian 'little cannibal' then stresses that he wants to put "the three Grand Tours in my palmares by the end of my career". In the future, therefore, he will also race the Vuelta where he finished third in 2019, the year of his only participation in the Tour of Spain. In the meantime, however, it's time to think about the Giro.
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