Following his decisive Tour de France victory, Tadej Pogačar’s (UAE Workforce Emirates-XRG) return to racing on the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec on Friday was the scene of a uncommon miss, because the world champion completed in twenty ninth place – his worst one-day lead to three years.
The four-time Tour de France winner was unable to make any decisive impression regardless of launching a number of assaults on the punchy Canadian circuit. He completed within the chase group, trailing the lead trio and fragments of the sooner breakaway, regardless of bridging efforts on the Côte de la Montagne.
Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Professional Biking Workforce) claimed a superb solo victory, whereas Pogačar completed 26 seconds again within the chase group, his lowest putting in a one-day race since 2022.
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The outcome comes as Pogačar targets the UCI Highway World Championships in Rwanda later this month, the place he goals to defend his street race title and try an formidable double by additionally vying for time trial victory.
In Friday’s race, although, it was his teammate Pavel Sivakov who got here closest to toppling Alaphilippe, securing second place from a lead group of three. Nonetheless, positioning Pogačar for the race win was clearly the group’s focus even into the ultimate kilometres regardless of the hole to the lead group.
“We needed to open the race up fairly early at this time, so we tried to assault,” Sivakov defined in an interview following his podium end. “On the final lap, I knew that Pogačar was getting nearer, and he needed the victory. However Julian was one of the best at this time.”
“I used to be considering the group behind may come again and I used to be able to do the job for the boys, however then with 3km to go I realised that we had been going to play the win,” he went on to say.
“Within the final lap, I used to be not pulling with the group and saving the legs for the final climb, however sadly, I couldn’t observe Alaphilippe within the final steep kicker.”
Regardless of failing to ship a win for Pogačar or the group, the race nonetheless largely went to plan for UAE Workforce Emirates-XRG, Sivakov mentioned. “I might say it went to plan, after which behind it principally didn’t come again. We had been anticipating it to come back again after which most likely dash with the boys, however it was a change this yr, and I feel it did [change it] for certain.” Talking about Sunday’s race at Grand Prix de Montréal, he added, “Now we have the favorite and possibly the strongest group right here. So it is going to be as much as us to essentially make it onerous and go for it.”
The Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec and Grand Prix de Montréal, whereas not main season targets in themselves, characterize a key constructing block to the World Championship Highway Race in Rwanda.
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“In fact, I wish to peak on the World Championships. That is the primary aim for this remaining stretch of the season,” Pogačar mentioned in his pre-race press convention. “I additionally wish to use these races pretty much as good coaching and hope I will be prepared.”
Pogačar’s post-Tour preparation has mirrored a much less form-focused coaching block the place he has prioritised private time. Slightly than attending a conventional altitude camp, the reigning World Champion opted for a whole break adopted by house coaching in Slovenia. “After the Tour, I took a break, adopted Urška at her races, and did some good coaching at house,” he revealed. “I could not squeeze one other massive coaching block at altitude into my summer time.”
With Rwanda’s World Championships simply 9 days away, Pogačar has confirmed his intention to race each the street race on September twenty eighth and the time trial every week earlier, the place he plans to problem Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Fast-Step) for the rainbow jersey.
“Do I actually wish to problem Remco? In fact, that is the aim,” Pogačar acknowledged in his pre-race press convention forward of Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec. “I wish to put him and the opposite robust specialists to the take a look at. The course ought to swimsuit me, though I am going to want an excellent day. I’ve at all times been a fan of the self-discipline and have been on my time trial bike greater than regular this time.”
Pogačar could have one other likelihood to check his type at Sunday’s Grand Prix de Montréal earlier than departing for Rwanda.
