This is how Paret-Peintre wants to beat Pogacar in the battle for the polka-dot jersey at the Tour de France

Valentin Paret-Peintre isn't the leader in the mountains classification, but he has been allowed to wear the polka-dot jersey over the past few days. Yellow jersey wearer Tadej Pogacar is currently at the top of the mountains classification, which is why the Frenchman was allowed to wear the polka-dot jersey. The Soudal Quick-Step climber still believes he can win that mountains classification, and he knows (more or less) how to do it.

After 16 stages in the Tour de France, Pogacar is the sole leader in the battle for the polka-dot jersey. The Slovenian rider from UAE has a whopping 70 points, while Paret-Peintre, who is in second place, has 45. Richard Carapaz is in third place with 39 points, followed by several general classification contenders. Since Pogi is wearing the yellow jersey, Paret-Peintre was allowed to wear the polka-dot jersey for a short while.

In any case, life in the polka-dot jersey is seen as a pleasant experience. “People recognize me more—even people who don’t follow cycling know that I’m wearing the mountains jersey and shout, ‘Go, mountains jersey!’ That definitely gives me some extra motivation,” Paret-Peintre told Cyclism’Actu on Tuesday after the time trial.

That’s a welcome motivation, by the way, since the Frenchman will have to make up a 25-point deficit on King of the Mountains Tadej Pogacar in the third week. Paret-Peintre does have a game plan for that, though. “I have to ride at the front in the final three mountain stages; that’s where everything will be decided.”

Because, as the Soudal Quick-Step rider calculates: “If I ride at the front and pick up enough points, there are still 70 points up for grabs in Stage 20, so I still believe I can do it.” If you add up all the mountain points from the third week, you get nearly 150 points. Then, indeed, anything is still possible.

Like many other riders in this Tour, however, Paret-Peintre also has his sights set on winning a stage. After all, we haven’t seen a French stage win in this Tour yet. “I think there’s a great opportunity for the French tomorrow (Wednesday, Stage 17, finishing in Voiron—Ed.), with a good chance that the breakaway will succeed,” the Frenchman says.

He’s also circled a few dates on his calendar himself. “For me, I think the best chance is on Thursday at the finish in Orcières-Merlette (Stage 18, ed.). But it’s tough in the Tour, because the level of competition is exceptionally high. So we’re always hoping for a victory, but it doesn’t always work out,” is the conclusion he’s reaching more and more often.