Pogačar Eyes road Race Redemption After Time Trial Disappointment at Worlds
Kigali, Rwanda – Tadej Pogačar remains optimistic despite finishing fourth in the UCI World Championships Individual Time Trial on Sunday, a result he acknowledges wasn’t his best but views as a temporary setback. the Slovenian star was overtaken near the finish, echoing a similar experiance at the 2022 World Championships in Stirling, where he finished 21st, over three minutes behind winner Remco Evenepoel.
Pogačar’s fourth-place finish represents a critically important betterment over his 2022 performance. He finished just one second off a bronze medal, earned by Ilan van wilder of belgium, and expressed regret at not pushing harder in the finale knowing how close he was to the podium. However,Pogačar quickly shifted focus to the upcoming road race,citing disrupted training due to circumstances prior to the event in Canada.
“Today I will probably regret [the outcome] but tomorrow is a new day,” Pogačar said. “I can be happy with how I suffered today… I am looking more forward for the Sunday road race anyway.”
The road race presents a drastically different challenge: a grueling 267.5km course with a staggering 6096 vertical meters of climbing – exceeding the difficulty of the most demanding mountain stages of the Tour de France. Pogačar,renowned as a superior climber to Evenepoel,anticipates a more favorable contest.
“I hope that he prepared really 100 percent for this discipline today, and that he will be 99 percent ready for next Sunday,” Pogačar said with a smile, referencing his own readiness for the road race. He plans two more intense training sessions before Sunday’s event and expressed enjoyment of the training surroundings in Rwanda.
Pogačar and his coach will analyze his time trial performance to identify areas for improvement, but he insists there is no cause for alarm. He remains confident and eager to compete,aiming to bounce back from the time trial disappointment and contend for victory in the challenging road race.
