- 'I cracked myself': Pogacar pays price for disrupted Tour preparation

Tadej Pogacar, who finished second overall in the Tour de France, lost the yellow jersey on the Champs Elysees due to a dip in form in the third week. This decline in performance was a result of his truncated preparation and a wrist fracture he suffered in April. Despite going head-to-head with Jonas Vingegaard for two weeks, Pogacar was ultimately crushed by the defending champion in the time trial and the final Alpine stage. While Vingegaard claimed his Jumbo-Visma team had a plan to make Pogacar crack, the Slovenian disagreed, stating that he cracked himself. Pogacar’s training was hindered in May, and he only resumed competitive racing in late June, while Vingegaard had a smooth preparation with altitude training and the Criterium du Dauphine. Although Pogacar’s performance declined, he managed to recover and win the last mountain stage. Looking ahead, Pogacar aims to crack Vingegaard in future Tours and expand his victories to include the Giro and the Vuelta. Despite the challenges, Pogacar remains determined to be a complete rider and take on new challenges in the future.