Pogacar's team showed their ambition as they showed their vulnerability in the opening stage. The Slovenian found himself without a single teammate in the final, after UAE had started chasing the breakaway. “We tried to control the stage, but it was not our day,” admitted the leader. “There are always riders who struggle a little on the first day of a big tour. We saw that in our team, but we did well overall.”
Not a winner on the line, Tadej Pogacar nevertheless showed himself to be the most impressive on the final climb of the Bivio di San Vito. “I did everything I could on the climb, but Narvaez was very strong and he was able to keep up with me. Then I started the sprint too early. It had been a long time since I had to sprint with two other riders , and I was a little nervous,” said the Slovenian.
From Sunday, a stage with an ideal profile with an arrival at the summit presents itself in front of 'Pogi'. “The fact that I have already been able to drop a few riders from the general classification is a positive signal. I can be satisfied with that. And tomorrow's stage suits us better,” he concluded.
