By Julien Pretot
BILBAO, Spain (Reuters) – Tadej Pogacar has named Jonas Vingegaard as the big favourite for the Tour de France, but the defending champion would not be drawn into mind games two days before the race starts on Saturday.
Pogacar, the 2020 and 2021 Tour winner, has had a troubled build-up after breaking his wrist two months ago, with the Slovenian saying one of his bones had not fully healed yet, making his Danish rival the natural front-runner for the title this year.
“It doesn’t matter who says who the favourite is but at the end of the day it comes down to who is in the best shape,” Vingegaard told a news conference on Thursday.
“I can also say he is the big favourite.”
Vingegaard’s Jumbo-Visma team mate Wout van Aert said: “I think it’s mind games.”
Vingegaard beat Pogacar last year thanks to a brutal team attack in the ascent to the Col du Granon, which left the Slovenian stunned and eventually having to settle for second place overall.
Nicknamed the ‘Baby Cannibal’ in reference to the great Eddy Merckx and the Belgian’s take-no-prisoner approach, Pogacar is likely to start the race with all guns blazing and Vingegaard is expecting no less from his main rival.
The opening week will be brutal, with tough stages in the opening days on hilly terrain, which play into Pogacar’s strategy.
“Actually yes I would expect him to attack (early in the race), a bit like last year,” said Vingegaard.
“I’ll just have to be ready for it. We will need to do our best and see what we can do.”
Vingegaard could be more at ease on the longer climbs.
“There will be a lot of super hard stages,” he said.
“I’m well prepared and I’m where I want to be.”
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Ken Ferris)
