Sporting manager José Antonio ‘Matxin’ Fernández spoke with the Spanish AS about the mental fatigue of Tadej Pogacar. The team director of UAE Emirates XRG indicates that the Slovenian world champion could not enjoy the final week of the Tour, during which he had to defend his large lead. "He loves being competitive. From the moment we had to wait for others to attack and had to ride defensively, he didn’t enjoy it anymore," the Spaniard explained.
According to Matxin, it is boring for both the four-time Tour winner himself and for the fans when Pogacar is not riding offensively. "It wasn’t fun for him or the spectators. Attacking is in our nature, but with a lead of four minutes over second place, we also needed to think about consistency," the Spanish team director explained the race tactics of the yellow jersey winner.
Pogacar rode defensively in the final week of the Tour - photo: Cor Vos
That both Pogacar and cycling fans consider the defensive strategy boring is, according to Matxin, a result of how races have unfolded in recent years. "We are used to attacks 80 km from the finish, 50 km from the finish... Now it feels boring to wait until the end because these riders have made it seem as if the race can always explode from the start. We’re almost accustomed to it now."
How can the team counter boredom for Pogacar?
In the final week of the Tour de France, Pogacar hinted that he was mentally fatigued; the Slovenian could hardly enjoy the Grand Tour and was looking forward to a holiday. According to Matxin, UAE Emirates XRG knows how to keep their leader hungry. "To keep him interested, we constantly change parts of his schedule."
Besides stage races, the Slovenian multiple winner often rides a full spring season with the biggest Classics. Those one-day races in spring might be Pogacar’s favorite races, and his team director agrees. "The Tour of Flanders is probably more exciting because you have to be in the right place at the right moment."
Pogacar rode Paris-Roubaix for the first time this spring - photo: Cor Vos
"In those one-day races you don’t have to wait for someone to attack you, like in the last mountain stage of the Tour. We saw a slightly boring stage in La Plagne, but the yellow jersey wearer is not the one who has to attack," Matxin added that his last remark was not a criticism of the competition.
A lot away from home
Still, the Spanish team director also sees a downside when it comes to Pogacar’s participation in the spring classics. "Those races require a very long and almost invisible preparation that takes a lot of time away from home. That can be a challenge."
After his fourth Tour victory, Pogacar stated that he was really looking forward to a few vacation days with his girlfriend, Urška Žigart. The two had spent only a few days together in their Monaco home since the Tour of Flanders, due to the long preparations and many races.
Pogacar with his girlfriend after the 21st Tour stage - photo: Cor Vos
How much longer will Pogacar keep racing the Tour?
The world champion is currently enjoying a well-deserved holiday. Moreover, Pogacar will skip the Vuelta a España, although that Grand Tour was on the schedule earlier this year. This unpredictability characterizes the Slovenian, but it also makes it difficult even for his team director to predict the future. Matxin cannot estimate whether the world’s best cyclist will skip the Tour de France in the coming years.
"Anything is possible. Last year everyone said he would ride the Vuelta after the Tour to make history, but that didn’t happen. After scouting the forest of Wallers, he wanted to ride Paris-Roubaix... Everyone talks about history, but time flies and can even be contradictory. So we carefully plan everything."
Tadej Pogačar| Race | Date |
|---|---|
 Strade Bianche | 7 Mar |
| Milano-Sanremo | 21 Mar |
 Ronde van Vlaanderen | 5 Apr |
 Paris-Roubaix | 12 Apr |
| Liège-Bastogne-Liège | 26 Apr |
 Tour de Romandie | 28 Apr - 3 May |
| Tour de Suisse | 17 Jun - 21 Jun |
| Tour de France | 4 Jul - 26 Jul |
