Pogacar dismisses Visma’s supposed advantage in Pyrenees week: "Now comes our terrain"

Despite a great week for Pogacar, the rest day came at just the right time. "So far, so good! We had a nice ride and a nice coffee break. We went for a haircut and had a delicious burger for lunch... Now it's time for a nap and a massage,“ he explains with a smile in a press statement in Toulouse. ”Then it's already time for dinner, and we're almost ready to get back on the road. The rest day will be over before we know it."

“When we arrived yesterday, I was super happy. The first nine days were very hectic and nerve-wracking. We expected that, so I'm very glad we made it through. João didn't, of course,” he corrects himself. "Now comes our terrain, the climbing. That's less stressful. Overall, we can say we've had a good week, except for João's decision to abandon the race. That's the only big blow. We're in a good position in the GC, and we're ready to take on the mountains."

Almeida was supposed to be Pogacar's main lieutenant, but his crash on the Mûr-de-Bretagne took its toll. He withdrew during the ninth stage. “He really showed the spirit of a warrior in his last two days, but I can't imagine what it's like to ride with a broken rib and other injuries. I'm very sad that he's not here because the vibe was good, and he was really looking forward to the next two weeks to defend the yellow jersey.”

A remarkable statement, considering he has lost the leader's jersey to Ben Healy. “That's not so bad because we're still close to yellow. The big rivals in the GC are still behind; they must attack. We'll see if Ben can hold on to yellow for a few stages, but I think he's been in the breakaway a lot. I hope he's tired and that we can fight for yellow again in the coming days,” smiles the world champion. “Maybe not tomorrow, but Hautacam, the time trial, Superbagnères... Those are three beautiful climbing days."

It could be a crucial week. "I expect it to be a fast week because the first week has been extended. The second week is one day shorter, and there's a time trial. It will all go very fast. This week could be decisive. The second week is normally for the middle mountains and breakaways, but this year, it's almost as tough as the final week. We're going to see big gaps in the GC in the coming days.“

Pogacar has already won two stages, but he is certainly not getting carried away, especially not against his expected rivals. "The level is so high, man. Of course, it has been nine short, explosive, nervous, and stressful days, but every team has shown that they can fight at the front. Yesterday was the first tough day; it was difficult to control. Our team did a great job, even though we lost João, and Pavel is feeling a bit under the weather. But we've seen who's where on the climbs, although it's not a real indicator of the GC contenders yet."

The number two in the GC expects that indicator to emerge on Thursday, after which it will be three days of fierce battle for the top positions. "The big goal for everyone this week will be tackling the mountains and the climbing time trial. We'll be able to analyze that better, but I think the start list is packed with top riders. It's going to be a fierce battle for the podium and the yellow jersey."