Pogacar's "proud" climbing domestiques prepare to destroy Giro in grueling stage: "You'll see..."
Tadej Pogacar has been praising his team throughout the Giro d'Italia, and for good reason. UAE Team Emirates has ridden a flawless Tour of Italy so far, impressively controlling the race when needed. Very promising, especially as the queen stage of this edition looms on Sunday, featuring 222 kilometers and 5,724 (!) altimeters. The right time to make a significant move? Pogacar and his three climbing domestiques shared their thoughts in an interview with IDLProCycling.com.
Those who analyzed the UAE Team Emirates lineup prior to the Giro might have had some doubts, especially after Pogacar was isolated early on the first day in Turin. However, over the next two weeks, the team from the Emirates stepped up, always being there when needed. "Apart from racing, I'm enjoying every moment in this Giro. I really have an amazing team with me, and the morale is sky-high. We're doing well together, which makes for good morale," Pogacar enthusiastically begins.
"Sometimes someone has a bad day, but together we keep each other motivated and strong," continued the pink jersey wearer. "Everyone is here with one goal: to win the Giro. That much has been clear since December, and everyone has been working towards this from day one. I'm super happy and very proud of this team, including the staff members here and back home. It's a huge operation set up for one goal."
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Tadej Pogacar
UAE domestiques grin as Giro stage 15 comes up in conversation
Pogacar has amassed a 3.41-minute lead over the course of fourteen days, but it's on Sunday, May 18, that the first real mountain challenge arrives. The stage to Livigno includes the Mortirolo and finishes above 2,300 meters — a stage Pogacar would undoubtedly love to win. "I'm really looking forward to the queen stage. Our plan probably looks quite simple: start as early as possible with as many teammates as possible. Then we'll see what happens. In such an important stage, you always aim for the stage win, but first, we need to see who is in the breakaway and how the race unfolds. A lot depends on many factors, including other teams. However, we need to focus on ourselves, then everything should be fine," said Pogacar.
His teammate Domen Novak, after his individual time trial on Saturday, wasn't ready to reveal much. "Sunday will be a battle. All teams will try to beat us, but they will also have to think about their own positions. We can stay calm, we're already more than three minutes ahead. The goal is to keep the jersey. We take it as it comes," stated the Slovenian. Felix Großschartner was more forthcoming when asked if UAE intends to destroy the Giro on Sunday: "We must bear in mind that it will be a long and tough stage, so we need to be smart in managing our energy. We will race for about seven hours, and the final week is still to come. We just need to live in the moment, see how everyone feels, and if there's a chance to gain time, he will do it. He is very ambitious, but also very smart. It will be a special day, the queen stage of this Giro. And if you're the best rider in the race, you want to win a stage like that."
Rafal Majka, the Pole who has often been the last man with Pogacar, looks forward to what lies ahead. "I feel okay and I'm optimistic. The past few days were a bit easier, but the last week will be tough. For me, these are perfect days because the course goes uphill, which is better," he said with a revealing grin. A telling grin also appeared when asked if Pogacar plans to make a significant move. "You'll see if Tadej makes a move... I hope everyone has good legs, then we'll do our best."
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UAE-Team Emirates
UAE Team Emirates domestiques rally around leader Pogacar
Novak, Großschartner and Majka were all allowed to take it easy during their time trial on Saturday. "My goal was to finish within the time limit, as calmly as possible," Novak pointedly says. "I took it easy because we have only one goal here and that is to win the Giro with Tadej. If you can take it easier, then you should," says Großschartner. The Austrian briefly appeared to be the first withdrawal from the team after a crash in the second week, but ultimately, it all worked out. "The crash was already three days ago, so I feel better. I had a very light concussion and therefore was checked several times. I am now back to normal, so I am full of confidence."
This is just as well, since Pogacar only has three domestiques who can set the pace on climbs for a long time. There is thus a lot of pressure on the shoulders of these three, which Großschartner is aware of. However, Pogacar does not put pressure on them at any point. "Tadej is always quite relaxed. It is very impressive how he handles the pressure. It’s not just about the pressure he puts on himself to win races, but also about how everyone expects him to do that. He is one of the best ever on the bike, and off the bike, his personality is amazing. I love being his teammate."
"I am proud to be part of this team," Novak says. "He's from Slovenia, and so am I, and he is the best rider in the world. I enjoy helping him and do my best. He is relaxed, and day by day, we try to keep him in pink."