When you think about that Tadej Pogačar hasn’t misplaced a one-week stage race since Itzulia Basque Nation in 2021, you’ll be able to perceive the realism with which defending champion Lennert Van Eetvelt and two-time podium finisher Pello Bilbao framed their solutions on the UAE Tour press convention.
Even at that race particularly, it was solely the elite pairing of Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard that did for Pogačar’s possibilities, with nearly each seven-day race he is achieved since leading to imperious victory.
With a 3rd UAE Tour title in his sights, do Van Eetvelt and Bilbao see it as solely a race for second behind the World Champion? After all, they’re going to begin with the optimism to win however each admitted the enormous of a job in entrance of them and the possible must shock within the crosswinds if they’re to grab victory from the heavy favorite.
“You by no means need to begin a race pondering you’re racing for second place, however when Tadej begins, it is at all times actually exhausting to compete,” mentioned Van Eetvelt, talking on the Colnago Idea Retailer on Al Hudayriat Island.
“However you do not begin the race pondering you will be second or that second is the utmost potential. We’ll simply begin to strive our greatest and we’ll see.”
Bilbao had comparable ideas about Pogačar’s presence within the UAE, with the just about all-powerful Slovenian forcing the Spanish rider to settle right into a race for second in opposition to Van Eetvelt and the opposite GC favourites.
“I do know this yr goes to be actually sophisticated to go for the victory, however we need to do one thing totally different to make a superb problem right here,” mentioned Bilbao.
“I might say, evaluating with the numbers, it is nearly unimaginable to beat him on the climbs. So the one risk is to discover a shock throughout a troublesome second within the race. However even like that, I feel it should be tremendous exhausting.”
Bilbao was third behind Pogačar and Adam Yates in the course of the 2022 version of the UAE Tour, shedding nearly all of his eventual 48-second deficit in the course of the 9km time trial. Nevertheless, he and the opposite two GC favourites dominated out the race in opposition to the clock, which is now on a unique 12km course, being a lot of a decider for the general win.
“After all, [the time trial is] at all times vital and some seconds can rely in the direction of the top,” mentioned Van Eetvelt. “However I feel with him [Pogačar] right here, there’s a greater probability that echelons will make an even bigger distinction in GC than the time trial and on the climbs, we’ll all fall into place.”
“It is a short while trial once more. The distinction between the most effective shouldn’t be going to be enormous, although, perhaps within the combat for the rostrum it may be a decider,” mentioned Bilbao, who was eighth on the identical ITT course finally yr’s race. “However I do not assume it should be too vital for the GC.”
The combat for the general title may begin as early as stage 1, in the course of the doubtless dash stage from Madinat Zayed Shams Photo voltaic Park to Liwa Palace. Uncovered roads within the desert supply the potential for wind to shake issues up, nonetheless, the present forecasts do not look as fruitful for echelons as they did on stage 2 of the UAE Tour Ladies.
Stage 2 and three, nonetheless, will take within the time trial and the primary summit end to Jebel Jais, in order that ought to be the early indicator of whether or not both Bilbao, Van Eetvelt or another person can mount a problem for the pink jersey in opposition to Pogačar.
