Nils Politt in a TOUR interview: "I've never ridden with a rider like this before"
Julian Schultz
· 23.07.2024
Before Team UAE Emirates kicked off the celebrations in Nice, we spoke to noble helper Nils Politt about his personal performance as the best German at the Tour de France 2024 and, of course, about his team-mate Tadej Pogacar, who left his mark on the Tour of France with a total of six stage wins and his unchallenged overall victory.
Nils Politt in a TOUR interview
TOUR: Mr Politt, it's done: more than three weeks of the world's toughest cycling race are behind you. How would you summarise your first impressions shortly after the last stage?
Nils Politt: Won six stages. Won the overall standings. Team classification won. The conclusion is of course positive all round.
TOUR: And your personal résumé?
Nils Politt: I was in very good shape. We also prepared extremely well as a team for the tour and brought a strong team with us.
TOUR: Were you even surprised by yourself at times? We still remember your impressive ride over the Col du Tourmalet, when you rode the entire climb at the top.
Nils Politt: (laughs) The team had a plan. The first focus in the spring was the classics, which I had already ridden a lot (e.g. fourth at Paris-Roubaix, editor's note). After that, the team left me alone and I was able to rebuild with the team at the altitude training camp. Of course, we trained a lot in the mountains. Before that, I had already started training again in the Black Forest and trained a little more intensively overall. That paid off.
TOUR: Of course we also have to talk about your captain...
Nils Politt: Simply chapeau! I've been around him for four weeks now, he's just an incredibly great personality. The composure and how much fun he has in cycling is simply amazing. He is a huge talent and has proven that he is the best rider in the world.
TOUR: You have been in a team with many top riders in your career. How does Pogacar differ from the others?
Nils Politt: He is an extremely relaxed rider and simply enjoys his job. It doesn't matter whether it's a mountain stage or a sprint stage where he's suddenly riding around at the front. As a team-mate, you tend to think that you have to pull him back from the bunch. If he realises that he has good legs, then he'll leave it on the road. He can still save a grain or two there. He hasn't had a slump this year and has always believed in his strengths. I've never had anything like that before with other riders I've had on the back wheel at the Tour.
TOUR: That sounds like he needs to be slowed down. He already has the double with the Giro and the Tour. Are there any thoughts in the team that he might also start at the Vuelta and tackle the triple?
Nils Politt: No, I know first-hand that he's skipping the Vuelta. He'll take a deep breath now. Of course, there's a bit of pressure off him now that he's done both Grand Tours. He'll take a break and he'll certainly be happy to put on the rainbow jersey.
TOUR at the Tour de France: Exclusive blog
Julian Schultz
Editor
