"Jonas has every reason to be confident": Pogacar awaits Visma attack on climbs where he failed before

Additionally, Pogacar did not feel well in the second week. He had respiratory problems and a bad cold. “I'm becoming less sick now, so thanks for taking care of me,” he joked during the press conference after the fifteenth stage. “Half of the bunch has sore throats and coughing, blowing their noses. I think I'm more at the end of it,” he said hopefully. So no worries for the rest of the Tour.

So far, tensions between UAE and Visma have been running high at times. Minor incidents between Pogacar and Matteo Jorgenson, as well as between the teams in general, have been in the spotlight. But the world champion says it's not as bad as people think. He is still enjoying the Tour. “I wasn't annoyed,” he said at a press conference attended by IDLProCycling.com.

"It's the Tour de France, so you have to be fully focused and prepared in the first stages. I don't enjoy those stages, and I don't think the other contenders do either. It's hectic and dangerous. But I'm having a good time: we have a fantastic group. If I have to do the Tour every year, I do it for the boys and the ambiance. I'm happy to be part of the group.“

Vingegaard said on the rest day that he still believes he can win the Tour. Pogacar expects nothing less and is ready for the clash. “I'm very confident, I have to be. But I'm also sure he can be very confident because he's in good shape too. We saw it in the time trial and the stage to Superbagnères, where he really flew. I have to stay focused, keep eating and sleeping. We must remain cheerful and motivated, and maintain our confidence for the final week. It's going to be tough, but we're ready to go up against anyone, especially Jonas."

His Danish rival came to the Tour feeling very motivated, partly because the route includes many climbs where he has performed well in the past. “This year, the route has been designed to scare me a little, I'm pretty sure of that,” Pogacar laughs. “We went to Hautacam, and later we'll do Ventoux and Col de la Loze: Jonas dropped me on all of them. But it's not about the climb itself, or whether it suits him better or not. It was the race situation, because most of the climbs are pretty much the same.”

That's why the leader of the GC isn't afraid of what's to come, but that doesn't mean he's particularly excited either. “It doesn't matter what it's called. I love these climbs: the Ventoux is iconic and the Col de la Loze is one of the hardest cols I've ever done. I'm looking forward to these two stages. I'm not looking for revenge, I just want to have better legs than I did then.”

What will make a big difference is that Pogacar is a more mature rider. He no longer attacks like a madman. “I'm out of the white jersey. I've had it for so long, and now I miss it,” he jokes. “But on the other hand, I have more experience with the Tour: what the race is like, what I'm capable of, and how the competition is. I've matured a bit. This is my sixth Tour, and I've always performed at a high level; I can now say that I've some experience. Certainly not all the experience, but I'm learning every day in the Tour.”

So far, Visma | Lease a Bike is the only team that can compete with UAE Team Emirates - XRG, but other teams also have that ambition in the long term. This includes Decathlon, which will receive a significant boost next year following the loss of its sponsor, AG2R. “I haven't heard that yet. But I definitely think it's good news. The team used to be a bit stuck in the same place, but with a new name, I already see a lot of improvement in how the team races. They have good riders. I don't know for sure, of course, but I definitely think they can be in contention for the Tour victory in the coming years.”

Last year, Pogacar stated that he wanted to attempt the Tour-Vuelta double in 2025. Mauro Gianetti has more or less confirmed that he will participate in Spain, but what does the rider himself say? "Right now, I'm only thinking about the Tour. There are still six stages to go. I'm not thinking about what will happen after that. Some guys are already planning their vacations, but I don't know yet. The decision will come after the Tour, more from my side than from the team. If I can relax after the Tour, I'll decide what comes next."