Even if Tadej Pogacar did not win this Friday on the 19th stage of the Tour de Francefinishing 3rd at La Plagne behind the heroic Thymen Arensman (Generial USE) and a Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | lease a bike) wait -and -see in the final climb, the Slovenian took a big step towards the final victory and, except incident, should win this Sunday a fourth Sunday Large loop. After the Alps, the boss of the Slovenian team, Mauro Gianetti returned for Cyclism’Actu on this end of Tour de Franceby establishing an interesting parallel between his champion and … the tennis champion Roger Fededer.
“It was a game of nerves between Tadej and Jonas …”
Mauro, what do we say when we finished the Alps?
We tell ourselves that we are still near Paris and it's a good thing. We had a great day for another day. We tried, Tadej still wanted to try to win this step. He stayed alone without a teammate but even Jonas had not, so he had to take responsibility for riding because Jonas wanted to play his game, that's normal. You have to stay a little concentrated but we approach.
You feared these Alps with this change of time, the rain announced, the cold and in the end it passed?
It's always a little critical, because they are used to the big heat and in addition we have with the hoses at a certain pressure and then there is the rain, you arrive in the descent and you may have too much pressure and it can become dangerous. There are a lot of things that change the data when it rains, but hey, the runners, with fatigue in everyone's legs, have managed to manage all situations well.
It's weird because Tadej had it in the legs, he was not far away, he did not get the stage, why?
I think it was a game of nerves between him and Jonas. Jonas was able to climb the wheel of Tadej, so he had spared energy for the sprint and I think Tadej thought of attacking early enough to be able to take over Arensman and sprint to win the stage, but Vingegaard thought the same thing: “I hope he attacks early enough to resume Aresman and that I beat him in the sprint.” The two played a little on the expectation that the other attacks early enough and then finally either attacked and Arensman deserved this victory.
So to those who say that Tadej Pogacar and the UAE Team Emirates are arrogant, is that wrong?
But I think we have never been arrogant. It's a shame because I think it's a loyal battle with Vingegaard and all the others for 4-5 years. Sometimes we use words or situations to talk about arrogance but I think it is not correct because we are correct, we do our race and it is normal that we try to win. We respect everyone so I think it's a bit of free criticism that have been contrary to what we have seen for 5 years. The fact that there is Tadej and Jonas who are as strong, who give spectacle and the fact that there are other strong teams like Red Bull who are there, it pushes everyone to work better, to be more concentrated, so that this sport is as beautiful as possible and what we have seen for a few years is a beautiful story between us and Visma.
In the bike, when there is a team that dominates, a blow the UAE Team Emirates, a blow the screw | Lease a bike, we doubt. Why in the bike we doubt In fact ?
The bicycle he still has unfortunately a story not pretty in the past but it is true that now cycling has evolved so well that it is a bit of a shame. It’s part of an old culture and it’s hard to do something. In other sports, we appreciate the champions whether in tennis, basketball or anything but we have a little trouble accepting that there are great champions also in cycling.
You are very close to a fourth Tour de France for Tadej Pogacar. Mauro, when you recovered it, did you say to yourself at the time, is it possible one day that he was four towers of France soon?
But we knew him when he was 18 years old, when he won his shopping everywhere in a junior and then as he was 23 years old, we followed him more closely and then just before he wins the tour of the future, we had assured his contract for a few years. We thought that one day he could be a winner of Tour de France. That in six towers of France, it can be six times in the first two positions, it is still extraordinary. But when I knew it the first time, personally, I had a really special feeling. It's the same feeling I had when I first met Roger Federer, he was 18 years old.
He was not yet a world number one, he was a young man who grew up in tennis, I had the feeling of incredible energy, someone who was really something more than a sport champion and I called my wife, I said to him: “I think I have met someone who will become something exceptional in sport because I never had that feeling”. And when I personally knew Tadej, who was 18, I had the same feeling. I felt invaded by a personality, an energy, a calm, it was the same as Federer. So I said to myself, well, we're going to be surprised by this guy.
This parallel Roger Federer-Tadej Pogacar, that means that Tadej Pogacar would be on the line of what Roger Federer could do?
He is a nice, serious, applied guy, he loves people, he appreciates everyone, it's the opposite of an arrogant. He is a runner who respects everyone starting with his teammates. We should see how he treats all the mechanics, the healers … For him, they are all important people, it is not a healer. No, he is the first who respects everyone. And then as a result, because we see, a bit like Federer, he gives spectacle, he has class when he does things.
A final word, Mauro, to those who doubt, to those who worry, to those who are afraid, what can you tell us?
We do what to do well so that this sport is pretty and loved.
