Pogacar explains insane solo attack: 'I looked at McNulty and said: let's go!'

He was absent from racing for more than a month, but Tadej Pogacar has immediately demonstrated that there should be absolutely no doubts regarding his form heading into the Tour de France. With a solo effort spanning more than seventy kilometres, he dismantled his rivals in the opening stage of the Tour de Suisse, leaving the general classification seemingly wrapped up already. But why on earth did the Slovenian choose to attack from so far out?

After picking up some bonus seconds, Pogacar chose to push on. With 71 kilometres remaining until the arrival in Sondrio, he found himself entirely alone. From that point, it resembled a glorified training ride for the winner. "It was tough, very tough," he explained in the flash interview, however. "The start was quiet, and we had everything under control. But the first climb was already very difficult."

The route was perfect for Pogacar, yet he could have easily bided his time until the brutal final section. Why did he choose not to wait? "Nils Politt did a great job there, and we picked up bonus seconds. Then Brandon and I looked at each other, and we said: 'Let's go.' From there, I just went," the Slovenian laughed.

He quickly built up a commanding lead from that moment onwards. "I didn't have a radio, so I didn't know what was happening behind me. I just kept riding hard, but once I knew the gap was substantial, I could establish a rhythm and try to maintain it all the way to the finish. It was still a very long way, and it was tough. But at the same time, it was also technical, so it was nice to ride alone."

The gap to runner-up Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) now stands at 2:22 minutes, while fourth-placed Ilan Van Wilder already trails by 4:16 minutes in the general classification. It was a masterstroke, perhaps, but a completely unintentional one. "This certainly wasn't the plan. But somehow it worked out. Thanks to my teammates, because without their blocking work behind me, it wouldn't have been possible."

He hopes to reward those teammates in the second stage following all their strenuous efforts. "I need to stay safe and defend the jersey. We have a strong team, and we can target another stage win with Jhonny, Brandon, Felix, or whoever else in the squad. We will see how they are feeling. We'll talk it through and see what we're going to do."