Tadej Pogacar has no intention of handing out freebies at this year’s Tour de France – not even with the yellow jersey firmly on his back and rivals gasping for air in the mountains.
After storming to his fourth stage victory, the UAE Team Emirates – XRG leader dismissed the idea that he should back off to spare his competitors – a trend that emerged during the Lance Armstrong era – insisting that every opportunity to win is one worth taking.
“I’m not here to make enemies, but it’s the Tour de France. You cannot just back off. The team pays you to win, not to give away. If there’s an opportunity, you go for it,” the Slovenian said.
The world champion’s commanding time trial victory on Friday further solidified his lead in the general classification, coming a day after he dealt a massive blow to his main rivals.
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