Why Is That a Big Deal?" Tadej Pogacar Surprised by Uproar Over His Fatigue

Tadej Pogačar was somewhat surprised by the commotion caused by his comments about fatigue during and after the Tour de France. According to the world champion and multiple Tour winner, this isn’t unusual, even though the media made a big deal out of it.

"If you race at the highest level for three weeks, you get tired. But that’s normal. I don’t know why this is such a big deal all of a sudden, this year," Pogačar said somewhat surprised at a press conference around the Canadian WorldTour races, which WielerFlits attended. "After La Plagne, I said I felt tired. I think that’s completely normal. You’re always tired, even after a one-day race. Just imagine doing that for 21 days... I think that’s very normal."

In the month and a half after the Tour de France during which he did not race, Pogačar found his rest. "I think everyone needs to give their mind a break. Especially in top-level sports. For all athletes who have to perform at their highest level, that’s difficult," he explained. "There’s also a lot of pressure involved, so you have to be able to ‘switch off’. That’s what I did in the period after the Tour de France. That was long enough."

Partly due to the mentioned fatigue after his Tour victory, Pogačar decided to remove the Vuelta a España from his original schedule. "We had already discussed with the team before the Tour that I might skip the Vuelta. This also gave a chance to João Almeida. He has shown this year that he belongs among the best, and now he is showing in the Vuelta that he can win it," the Slovenian said.

"In the back of my mind, I already knew: okay, I focus on the Tour de France. Whatever would be decided after the Tour, it wouldn’t matter to me anymore," Pogačar added. "Of course, I want to ride the Vuelta again someday, but it’s tough to schedule so many race days in one year. A grand tour is no walk in the park, so in the end, it was the right choice. And if you see how the team is riding in the Vuelta, they don’t need me," he concluded with a smile.