UAE Team Emirates' Pogacar 'ready to fight' for fourth Tour de France title
Far from resting on his laurels with a four-minute lead in the standings, defending champion Pogacar insisted his thoughts were on closing out the win in the six days of riding left.
On the second rest day in the 21-day, 3,400km slog around France, Pogacar appeared much more mature than the 20-year-old who won the first of his three titles in 2020.
"You learn every week, every day on this race that you must stay focused," said the 26-year-old Team UAE rider.
"This is my sixth Tour. I miss the white jersey (for the best rider under 26), you know, but yes I've grown up, got more mature," said Pogacar.
He said he had also grown into this Tour.
"Nobody liked those stages at the start of the Tour, it was quite nerve-wracking, but you need to be focused," he said of the first week when he appeared a little annoyed at times.
Pogacar headed into the Pyrenees last week second only to surprise leader Ben Healy of Ireland.
But he grabbed the lead by winning two of the tough, mountainous triptych of stages, emerging 4min 13sec ahead of second-placed Vingegaard, with promising German rider Florian Lipowitz third.
"I'm actually enjoying the Tour now," he said.
Asked about whether he planned to take part in the Vuelta a Espana, which begins on August 23, or if he preferred to take a break after his exertions on the Tour, Pogacar said the only thing he was sure about was giving it everything in the final week in France.
"Some riders are planning holidays. Not me. I'm thinking about the six days left. I haven't decided about racing the Vuelta. I'm not planning anything until after this Tour," he said.
As the peloton prepares to soar into the Alps on Tuesday Pogacar said he was prepared for an attack from Vingegaard.
"It's going to be tough. We are ready for a fight. With everybody, but especially Jonas, we've seen how strong he is.
"There are three mountains where he has previously been faster than me, But it is not about names, that was always because of the race situation," he said, recalling how the Dane had come close to denying him the win in 2021, and took the title in 2022 and 2023 when Pogacar was runner-up.
"It's not that i'm looking for revenge, I just want to do better," he said.
"I'm confident in myself, but I know Jonas can be too. I need to keep eating and sleeping well, and hope the mood persists.
"The group we have this year, at breakfast, on the bus, it's good. With the boys and the atmosphere, I'm happy to be part of this group, and I'd come here just to be with them regardless of the race."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
7 hours ago
- The National
Charles Leclerc secures Ferrari's first pole position of season at Hungarian GP
Charles Leclerc handed Ferrari pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix with McLaren's Formula One leader Oscar Piastri alongside on the front row. McLaren's Lando Norris, Piastri's closest title rival, qualified third with George Russell lining up fourth for Mercedes. The pole was Ferrari's first in a Grand Prix in 14 rounds this season. Leclerc punched the air in delight as he climbed out of the car after beating Piastri by 0.026 seconds and the other McLaren of Norris by .041s. Leclerc had consistently been the best of the rest behind the McLarens in practice but remained well off Piastri and Norris' pace. That changed in qualifying, with the help of gloomy, windy conditions that worked against the McLarens. Still, pole came as a shock. 'What?' Leclerc exclaimed over the radio when he was told he had qualified first. The Monegasque driver later said: 'Today, I don't understand anything in Formula One. Honestly, the whole qualifying was extremely difficult. When I say extremely difficult, it's not exaggerating. 'It was difficult for us to get to Q2, it was difficult for us to get to Q3. In Q3, the conditions changed a little bit. Everything became a lot trickier, and I knew I just had to do a clean lap to target third. 'At the end of the day, it's pole position. I definitely did not expect that. Honestly, I have no words. It's probably one of the best pole positions I've ever had. It's the most unexpected, for sure.' It was in stark contrast to yet another frustrating day for Lewis Hamilton in the other Ferrari. Hamilton has won the Hungarian Grand Prix a record eight times but qualified 12th as the seven-time champion's troubles in his first season with Ferrari continued. 'Every time, every time,' Hamilton told the team over the radio after he qualified outside the top 10 for the second straight race. Defending champion Max Verstappen was only eighth after struggling with the balance of his Red Bull, and his teammate Yuki Tsunoda was 16th. That piles more pressure on the Japanese driver, who hasn't scored a point in six races. Hamilton's replacement at Mercedes, teenager Kimi Antonelli, has only scored once in his last seven appearances and he too failed to make it out of Q2, qualifying 15th. Aston Martin have been woefully out of sorts this year and are eighth in the constructors' standings. Both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll failed to make it out of Q1 at the previous round. However, Alonso – who turned 44 earlier this week – and Stroll progressed to the final phase on Saturday, and will start fifth and sixth respectively. Alex Albon has enjoyed a strong season – he finished sixth last weekend – but he will line up from the back of the pack here after qualifying 20th and last.
Khaleej Times
a day ago
- Khaleej Times
UAE: Abu Dhabi to host Open Masters Games in February; residents' fees at Dh275
UAE residents aged 30 and above can now sign up for the Open Masters Games Abu Dhabi 2026, the first event of its kind in the Middle East, taking place from February 6 to February 16. The event features 33 various sports and is expected to gather more than 25,000 participants from over 100 nationalities. Competitions will be hosted across 18 major venues, including Zayed Sports City, Hudayriyat Island, Al Ain Adventure, ADNEC, and Abu Dhabi Falconers Club. Registration is now open via the Open Masters Games official website, with entry fees set at Dh275 for UAE residents and Dh550 for international athletes. Participants aged 25 years old and above can join in swimming, while rugby is only open to those aged 27+. Special rates of Dh100 are available for People of Determination and senior citizens. Registration will close on December 31. Spots per sport category are limited, organisers clarified. A celebration of sport 'We're always on the lookout for new experiences for our team,' said Perry Gardiner, co-founder of Calibre Masters swimming club. 'With swimmers from across the UAE and visitors from abroad, it's shaping up to be a fun and competitive event.' The Calibre Masters Swimming Club, based in Dubai, offers swimming classes for adults and has built a community of competitive swimmers. 'We'd love to see as many of our swimmers as possible enjoying the experience, swimming fast and making the most of it,' Gardiner added. 'To have the chance to do all of that on such a big stage is a real privilege.' Andy Fordham, Project Director at Zayed Sports City, who will compete in the cycling events of the games, told Khaleej Times: 'With 33 sports and more than 20,000 participants, I expect a true celebration of sport, diversity, and resilience across generations.' The New Zealand director saw the games happening in his home country in 2017 and is now looking forward to participating and competing. 'I happened to be in my home country, New Zealand, during the 2017 Games held in Auckland. Although I wasn't a participant back then, I vividly remember the energy of it. Years later, I finally get to experience it as an athlete,' said Fordham. 'As for preparations, I've been balancing my training around work, focusing on both endurance riding and building up stamina for race day.' For those willing to contribute to organising the games, volunteer applications are open via the Emirates Foundation, with opportunities in logistics, athlete support, and hospitality. Roles are available for students, professionals, and community volunteers. 'Volunteering in the Open Masters Games Abu Dhabi 2026 is more than just a contribution of time — it is a message of passion and belonging,' said Ahmed Taleb Al Shamsi, CEO of Emirates Foundation. 'The unity of volunteers embodies the spirit of collaboration toward promoting a healthy lifestyle and encouraging movement across all age groups.'
The National
2 days ago
- The National
Why Test cricket is not so boring, despite appearances
I'm no cricket fan. I watch it infrequently, and that too towards the end of a game – which means the last five overs or so – when you hear from seemingly every other Indian you know that there's excitement building. But the past few weeks of watching Test cricket without loathing that time in front of the TV (which is sometimes muted, depending on who the commentators are), has come as a surprise. Without getting into the weeds too much, a Test match is where two international teams play each other over five days, with each team batting twice (two innings each) with the aim of scoring more runs than the other team, while having to bowl all the batters out. Thankfully, these matches grow into the weekend. The anticipation builds. People stay put on sofas watching ball after ball, run after run, given reason occasionally to exult. The fifth and final Test match of India's tour of England starts on Thursday, ends on Monday. The series started in June and will end in August. It's been a summer of sporting distraction. To explain to cricket atheists what the fuss is can be pointless, especially as there can be instances, like last week, where after five days the match ends in a draw or a stalemate. It may be no use trying to persuade the uninterested that there is a pay-off to sticking with it, watching patiently for grit and character of these players to rise to the surface. Five days is just more demanding than a match that's over in 90 minutes, three hours or even eight hours, in any sport. Muscles begin to complain, and the consistency required can be mentally wearing for the players even as it is their job to overcome these obstacles. I don't remember the last time I voluntarily watched Test cricket. World Cup games are different; those are quicker, played over eight hours, often social affairs, and wickets always seem to fall just as you get up for a loo break. It is unremarkable perhaps to have found an interest – even astonishingly, respect – for a game that is hardly short of admirers, at least in Commonwealth countries where they are mostly played, and has been around since the 1800s. Its old-fashioned quality is partly why watching it can feel comforting. Its dipping viewership numbers, however, are understandable – especially given that Test cricket is not about instant gratification. It doesn't feel easy. It is not immediately rewarding. It requires patience, both playing it and watching it. Its essence seems to have delightfully little overlap with the constant turnover of TikTok or Insta reels. I don't remember the last time I voluntarily watched Test cricket. It is unremarkable perhaps to have found an interest – even astonishingly, respect – for a game that is hardly short of admirers Yes, you could watch 15-second highlights if you've missed chunks of the match, or just want to relive a segment of sporting excellence. But relying solely on them is taking a shortcut and not putting in the hours to 'stay with' and watch the bowlers, the fielders, the batters who've been at the crease (where they stand) for hours, chipping away, steadily accumulating runs, working for the team and displaying, you hope, at some point or another during the match: form, fitness, flair, strength, ability and determination, despite the exhaustion of playing the whole day in the sun. All these grand life themes are often on display on the field for five days. The duration though is not the least of what in the past I have found about the game to be brimming with tedium and just plain unwatchable. The monotony seemed lethal – a green field with specks in white uniform not moving around very much. The measured commentary, not too high or low pitched, little variation in tone, used to be ideal white noise to nap to (and can still be, depending on who has the microphone). Even as I can't claim to be able to tell the difference between a fielding position from a shot played or a ball delivered – what is a mid-off? what is a leg bye? why does no one yell 'Googly!' anymore? – it's not hard to know which players are having a bad day at the office, who's had a longer streak of terrible luck, and who is harnessing some preternatural gift to talk to the bat. This can be moving to watch. On a regular day, where exuberance isn't really an every-hour event, it's presumably alright to look forward to what moves you. And to root for the team that you do and see if they're up to the task. But those playing for the love of a vocation that demands all that raw stuff – endurance, steadiness of purpose and the steeliness to perform for your team and country – even as they're buoyed by several thousands of cheering fans in the stadium, and so many more remotely watching on screens, deserves a degree of admiration. It takes time perhaps to learn to see what it's about. And build an appreciation for the physical and mental calibre required. One then thinks of the work and practice that would have gone in for years before these players reach a level where they can take the stage, at the historic Lord's Cricket Ground in London, or at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, or Kolkata's Eden Gardens, or wherever. For that, regardless of the eventual score and who takes home the trophy, even an unwilling fan can at least willingly clap.
