Alberto Contador: 'Lance Armstrong is the last thing on Tadej Pogačar's mind'

Alberto Contador has weighed in on Tadej Pogačar’s chances at the Vuelta a España. The Spaniard, now an analyst at Eurosport, also addressed a comment made by his former teammate Lance Armstrong—speaking on THE MOVE podcast—during this season’s Tour de France.

Armstrong hinted during the Tour de France that Pogačar, who won the Tour for the fifth time this year, is chasing his record of seven (disallowed) victories. “We’ve all heard that Tadej Pogačar has tied the all-time record for Tour victories and joined that exclusive club of five,” Armstrong said.

"Well, guess what? He doesn't believe a word of it. He doesn't believe it. He knows full well what the real record is. Tader knows exactly what the record is, so there's no way he's going to stay home. I really hope he goes for it," the American said.

Pogacar himself didn't respond immediately, but Contador certainly has an opinion on the matter. “Do I think that secretly motivates him? I think Armstrong is the last thing on Pogacar’s mind. He’s thinking about the next race and how he’s going to try to win it.”

"He has plenty of opportunities with the Vuelta, the World Championships, and Lombardy. Next year, he'll continue winning classics and Grand Tours. I don't think he attaches any importance to Lance Armstrong's opinion," said the Spaniard.

Contador therefore sees Pogačar as the sole favorite for this Vuelta. “To be honest, I don’t think there’s a rider who can challenge him. It will mainly come down to Pogačar avoiding bad luck, such as a crash, a mechanical problem, or illness.”

"Riders like Gall, Carapaz, Roglic, and Onley will try to get as close as possible, but I don't think anyone can go head-to-head with him. What Tadej has done is incredible. He keeps proving it in every race he competes in. It’s not even about the fact that he wins, but especially the way he does it,” said the Spaniard.