Will Pogacar chase glory on Champs-Elysées? "I just want to enjoy wearing yellow in Paris"

The rain-soaked stage from Nantua to Pontarlier was another nervous one. Pogacar stood his ground well, although it was sometimes quite tricky in the attacking chaos. He also had to avoid a crash in the final kilometer. But with the last stage now on the program, the yellow jersey wearer will focus fully on that. “It's quite incredible to ride in such a beautiful city,” he told ITV.

It was busy on the side of the road during this Tour, but fortunately, there were no incidents involving supporters. So it was mainly fun in the Tour. "That's what's so great about this sport: we ride with 170 men in the biggest cities, in the mountains... Everyone is watching on TV, in a way, it's magnificent. For us, it's also great to ride among the fans.“ It will also be crazy in Paris.

With Montmartre in the route of the final stage, Pogacar now has a chance to win on the Champs-Elysées. The multi-talented rider could easily get involved in the battle for the stage win, but he is not making any promises. "In 2022, I set my personal record for watts over 20 minutes on the Champs-Elysées. It's really tough, and even more so now. Anything can happen, but I can't promise that I'll take the opportunity. We'll see, and above all, I want to enjoy the yellow jersey in Paris."

In that case, he will have to battle it out with Wout van Aert, who said he wants to give it a try. Montmartre is more of a classic, although it will be a short, explosive race," said the Belgian. “But it's something that suits me. I hope Pogacar doesn't go for it—although that's for personal reasons. To be honest, he doesn't look very motivated anymore. Although a lot will depend on the weather.”  

The most nerve-wracking part is over for Pogacar, who spoke to Het Laatste Nieuws about the penultimate stage. "I feel a bit more relaxed after today. Although I will still need to be focused and concentrated tomorrow." The roads in Paris are always treacherous: there is a crash almost every year, and it is quite possible that someone will be knocked out of the race.

But a battle for the yellow jersey is no longer to be expected. “What relieves me a little is that Jonas and Wout came up to me and we congratulated each other,” Pogacar said. “Wout told me that the battle is over. But again, tomorrow is another day.”