By Tom Bachmann and Stefan Tabeling, dpa
For Eddy Merckx, he has long been his legitimate successor and "Campionissimo", while Alberto Contador simply sees him as "a true cycling prodigy".
Pogacar aims for third Tour de France victory
When dominator Tadej Pogacar from the UAE Team Emirates rolls off the start ramp in cycling-mad Copenhagen on Friday, he will be the hunted superstar of the 109th Tour de France for three weeks. The 23-year-old Slovenian is aiming for his third overall victory - and hardly any expert has any other idea.
"When I'm in my very best form, I know I'm competitive. But I never forget that in cycling you lose more often than you win," said Pogacar. That may be true for most professional cyclists, but Pogacar is simply riding at a different level. This year, he started in three stage races and won all of them. He has also started five classics, where he won the Strade Bianche and his worst finish was twelfth place at the Fléche Wallonne.
"A true cycling prodigy"
"He is a true cycling prodigy," said two-time Tour winner Alberto Contador. The 39-year-old Spaniard now works as a TV pundit and particularly admires Pogacar's lightness of touch. "Tadej can deal with enormous stress as if it doesn't interest him at all. He acts as if it's the most normal thing in the world. And I know from my own experience that pressure can be a real challenge."
Many experts believe that Pogacar's biggest opponent could be a coronavirus infection. After all, there have been a number of positive cases recently. But even in this respect, the danger for the Slovenian is no longer quite so great, after the UCI adapted the regulations.
UCI changes corona rules before Tour de France
Before the start and on two rest days, all riders and team members now only have to undergo rapid antigen tests instead of PCR tests. And even if a rider tests positive, they are no longer automatically out. In exceptional cases, the chief physician of the UCI and the Covid doctor of the Tour organiser ASO can decide that a rider may continue to ride if they are not contagious.
When the 3346.6 kilometre route was presented in October, the competition around chief challenger Primoz Roglic still had hope. After all, the wind-prone opening days in Denmark and the cobblestone stage on the following Wednesday were something to attack. But then Pogacar turned up at the spring classics and rode at the front as if he had never done anything else. He only missed out on victory in the Tour of Flanders due to a tactical error.
Roglic eager to attack
The competition is now hoping for this in the next three weeks and wants to counter the prodigy from the village of Komenda with team strength above all. "We have many riders with very high quality. Now we have to work well together. We firmly believe that we can beat Tadej," said Roglic. The 32-year-old leads the team Jumbo-Visma has probably the strongest mountain helper of the entire peloton at his side in last year's runner-up Jonas Vingegaard.
Roglic and Vingegaard are probably the only pros who could pose a threat to Pogacar. But the duo will have to set an example in the 13.2 kilometre opening time trial in Copenhagen and distance themselves from Pogacar.
Will Bora-Hansgrohe fight for the podium with Vlasov?
Even if it's only by a few seconds. Mentally, they are likely to play a major role, especially as the pressure will initially be on the big favourite. For Aleksandr Vlasov, captain of the German team Bora-hansgrohedespite an outstanding season so far, it will probably only be about third place. The same applies to 2018 winner Geraint Thomas.
The manner of Pogacar's victory last year is etched in the memory of the competition. It's not just the ease with which the Slovenian chases up the steep passes in the Alps and the Pyrenees. Pogacar also never seems to have bad luck. He never gets ill and has never had a bad crash. "When you consider that he is only 23 years old, his abilities are incredible. It's becoming increasingly difficult to describe this boy in words. It's spectacular and formidable," said the former super rider Eddy Merckx. For the Belgian, Pogacar has long been a "Campionissimo", a champion of all champions.
The first tough mountain test will take place next Friday, when the up to 24 per cent steep ski slope to La Super Planche des Belles Filles goes up. A magical place for Pogacar, as he rode into the yellow jersey there on the penultimate stage in 2020 and snatched what Roglic thought was a certain victory. "I can't say that I can repeat my victory there. But if there's a chance, I'll definitely try."
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