Tour de France's final week lost its luster due to Tadej Pogacar's relentless defense of his lead, according to a UAE sports manager, who believes both spectators and the cyclist himself found it less than enjoyable.
In the final week of the 2023 Tour de France, cycling sensation Tadej Pogacar adopted a defensive strategy to protect his hefty lead. However, his sports manager, Joxean Fernández Matxin, believes this approach went against Pogacar’s "nature" as he prefers an attacking and competitive style [1].
Pogacar, known for his aggressive racing, showed signs of boredom and a wish for the race to be over during the final stages. Matxin explained that the defensive nature of racing to maintain a lead is less enjoyable for the rider and the spectators, as it lacks the excitement of active attacks and competition [1].
Jonas Vingegaard was Pogacar's main competitor in the Tour de France. Maintaining Pogacar's motivation is key to their success, according to UAE’s Head of Performance Jeroen Swart [2]. Pogacar himself emphasised the importance of keeping his schedule fresh to ensure his interest and motivation remain high [2].
After winning the Volta a Catalunya, Pogacar's team looked to the Classics as motivation to prepare differently. The Tour of Flanders is seen as a more exciting race for Pogacar's team because it requires being in the right place at the right time [3]. Tadej Pogacar expressed a desire to win Paris-Roubaix in the future [4].
Pogacar's lack of competitiveness in the final stages of the Tour de France was due to the defensive strategy, according to Matxin. He did not criticise the strategy but highlighted that it was not in line with Pogacar's natural racing style [1].
Not keeping Pogacar motivated could derail his current peak performance, stated Jeroen Swart [2]. In light of this, Pogacar plans to take a break after the current season ends [5]. To maintain his motivation, Pogacar expressed a desire to try new races like Paris-Roubaix and Milan-San Remo [6].
In the past season, Pogacar finished second in Paris-Roubaix after crashing in the finale [4]. UAE Team Emirates-XRG sports manager Joxean Fernández Matxin stated that Pogacar prefers to be competitive and finds defensive strategies unenjoyable [1].
Sources: [1] Cycling Weekly [2] Cycling News [3] Velonews [4] BBC Sport [5] The Guardian [6] Velo Magazine
Tadej Pogacar's defensive strategy during the final week of the 2023 Tour de France, despite protecting his lead, contradicted his natural racing style that is characterized by aggressiveness and competition. His sports manager Joxean Fernández Matxin emphasized that Pogacar finds defensive strategies less enjoyable for both the rider and the spectators.
After winning the Volta a Catalunya, Pogacar's team looked to the Classics as motivation to prepare differently, considering races like the Tour of Flanders more exciting due to their requirement for being in the right place at the right time, a scenario that aligns better with Pogacar's competitive nature.
