Tadej Pogacar will be competing in the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France next year, aiming for a mythical double. It will be a challenging task, but UAE Team Emirates Sports Director Joxean Matxin believes it is the right time for the Slovenian to pursue the pink jersey and take on new challenges.
“Tadej’s idea is to keep changing his goals. In this way, we always encourage him. He will still start in the Tour next year, but he will also compete in the Giro.”
This will be the first time in his life that he combines two Grand Tours in one year,” revealed Joxean Matxín in a press conference this afternoon to the Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad. “He is now 25 years old, and we believe he is ready for it now.”
Change in plans for 2024
It’s a surprising twist in the schedule that has come to light in the last 24 hours. Milan-Sanremo, Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, Olympic Games, and World Championships are now on the horizon as goals. Despite rumors circulating on social media in the past few hours, one certainty stands out: the Slovenian cyclist will not seek to repeat victory in the Tour of Flanders.
“As a result, he won’t be able to race the cobblestone Classics,” revealed Matxin.
With Jonas Vingegaard and a star-studded start list preparing for the Tour de France, the competition will always be tough. However, in the Giro d’Italia, the Slovenian should find less challenging terrain, and as it stands, he is the absolute favorite to claim the pink jersey. “Fingers crossed. Tadej Pogacar is by far the best cyclist I’ve ever seen in my career, and it’s time to go for the Giro-Tour double.”