Tour de France 2024: Tadej Pogacar ‘ready’ after recovering from Covid-19 - 'Bounced back really fast'
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Published 27/06/2024 at 19:56 GMT
UAE Team Emirates leader Tadej Pogacar is considered by many to be the favourite to claim the yellow jersey for a third time at the Tour de France this year. However, the Slovenian revealed just days before the race starting that he contracted the Covid-19 virus during his preparation. "I bounced back really fast...I'm ready," Pogacar insisted in an interview with Eurosport.
'See you on the road' - Pogacar ready to battle for third Tour de France crown
Tadej Pogacar has revealed that he contracted Covid-19 in the build-up to the 2024 Tour de France, but insists he has “bounced back really fast” and is “ready” to bid for the yellow jersey.
The UAE Team Emirates leader is among the favourites in a fascinating general classification battle when the Tour gets underway in Florence, Italy on Saturday.
Pogacar, a two-time Tour de France winner, is bidding to win back-to-back Grand Tours after claiming victory at the Giro d’Italia in May.
But he said in an interview with Eurosport on Thursday that his preparation took an unexpected turn.
“It’s been great, more or less. I was a little bit sick, I had Covid,” Pogacar said. “But I bounced back really fast and preparation went super good, so I’m ready.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing the legs on Stage 1 and 2 and then I hope the rest will go smoothly and go to plan.”
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Pogacar is not the only yellow jersey contender to have suffered a disrupted build-up to this year’s Tour.
Two-time defending champion Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), Primoz Roglic (Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) were all involved in a serious crash at the Itzulia Basque Country in April and had to recover from injury.
Since then, Pogacar has stormed to a dominant Giro victory, and he was happy to start the Tour on familiar terrain ahead of Saturday’s Grand Depart in Florence.
“[The Giro win] feels quite fresh and to be back in Italy in such a short period of time, I’m really happy,” Pogacar added.
The Slovenian said in a separate interview that he picked up the virus around 10 days ago, but was unconcerned about its potential impact on his form.
"It's not as serious any more. Especially if your body already had the virus before and I had it once or twice," said Pogacar.
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'See you on the road' - Pogacar ready to battle for third Tour de France crown
“It wasn't too bad, just like a cold. It passed really fast. I stopped for one day and then some rollers inside. Then when I wasn't sick any more, I was riding outside."
Stage 1 is a hilly 206km ride from Florence to Rimini on Saturday, June 29.
You can watch every day of the 2024 Tour de France live and on-demand on discovery+
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