Tadej Pogacar sees silver lining in timely wrist fracture ahead of 2023 Tour de France - 'A perfect time'
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Published 22/06/2023 at 14:19 GMT
Two-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar believes his wrist fracture came at an opportune moment, providing a much-needed period of rest before his pursuit of a third victory. Pogacar, representing UAE Team Emirates, has shared his recovery progress and confidence for the upcoming Tour de France. Pogacar won back-to-back the Tour de France in 2020 and 2021.
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Two-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar believes that his wrist fracture from a crash occurred at an opportune moment for the 2023 Tour.
The 24-year-old cyclist, who represents UAE Team Emirates, sustained the injury during the Liege-Bastogne-Liege race in April. However, the well-timed accident provided him with a much-needed period of rest prior to his pursuit of a third Tour de France triumph.
"You could say it happened at a perfect time. Naturally, I didn’t want it to happen like that, but I was due a long break, and I guess the injury just forced me to rest a bit more," Pogacar said in an interview with The National.
"I was back on the indoor trainer a week after the crash. That way I could hold my fitness a bit, and I also was doing rehab on the wrist and some running, core work, etc. I’ve already been back on the road for a few weeks now and feeling pretty good. It shouldn’t hinder me too much for the Tour, I think."
On aiming for a third win at the Tour de France, he said: "When you want to win a race, you have to trust the guys around you 100 per cent. We have a great team and understand each other well. There will also be strong competitors, so it won’t be straightforward, but we’ll give it a good crack."
Ahead of the Tour de France, Pogacar will compete in the National Championships in Slovenia, which will mark his return to competitive racing since his crash.
He will participate in the time trial on Thursday and the road race on Sunday, both taking place in northwest Slovenia near the Austrian border.
In preparation for the upcoming events, Pogacar, alongside teammates Adam Yates, Rafal Majka, Marc Soler, and Felix Grosschartner, has been training and conducting reconnaissance rides at altitude in Sestriere, located in the Italian Alps.
All of them are expected to be part of the UAE Team Emirates' lineup for the Tour de France, providing support to Pogacar in his quest for overall victory.
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