If there's one person who doesn't need to watch Netflix's superb Tour de France: Unchained series, it's Tadej Pogacar.
Going on the road and behind the scenes during the 2022 tour, Unchained showcases the astounding lengths the world's leading cyclists go to in order to compete at the Tour de France; the unfathomable pain barriers broken, the death-defying fearlessness, the sacrifices, the physical and psychological battles.
It also shows just how much Pogacar is feared by rival teams. Inside buses during pre-stage meetings, different teams on various occasions make their objectives clear: attack Pogacar, isolate Pogacar; do whatever it takes stop Pogacar from winning a third successive Tour de France.
It was a strategy that for a while looked futile as Pogacar slipped on the yellow jersey and seized early control of the tour. Then came the 11th stage when Team Jumbo-Visma's superstar duo, Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic, successfully pulled Pogacar away from his team and took turns to attack until the defending champion eventually cracked.
Vingegaard pulled clear to win the stage with a Herculean effort, crossing the finish line nearly three minutes ahead of Pogacar to take the overall lead. The Dane stayed in the yellow jersey for the remainder of the race to clinch his first Grand Tour title.
"I haven't watched the series yet, I basically know everything that happened," Pogacar, 24, told a select group of reporters. "I don't need to watch Netflix to relive the memories because they're quite fresh."
If Pogacar does eventually watch the series, he might want to skip past episode four, which focuses on stage 11 and the moment he lost his grip on the race.
While last year's tour is in the past, the Netflix show provides some insight into how this year's race might unfold, starting in Bilbao, Spain, on Saturday.
For a second successive year, the Tour de France is expected to be a straight shootout between Pogacar and Vingegaard, and for much of this season, it was the Slovenian who would have been deemed the clear favourite.
He had amassed 12 victories on the UCI World Tour by the end of April, but a broken wrist sustained during the Liege-Bastogne-Liege dealt a significant setback to his preparations. In Pogacar's absence, Vingegaard laid down a marker by dominating the prestigious Criterium du Dauphine. Given the recent turn of events, Pogacar believes Vingegaard should be regarded as the favourite.
"[Vingegaard] was already looking in super good shape," he said. "He showed dominance [in Dauphine], he showed he could win easy and I think for the tour he is the main man. Everyone will expect him to win the tour easily now."
It's a unique position Pogacar find himself in, being the underdog – even if much of it is self-imposed. The world's top-ranked male cyclist, winner of the tour in 2020 and 2021, is accustomed to being the hunted, but he is embracing the opportunity of becoming the hunter.
"For two years I'd been defending the tour, it's a different pressure than when you're attacking the tour," he said. "This year, I have nothing to lose. I'm coming after an injury and whatever happens, happens. I think I'm in good shape but you never know. It's a totally different mentality from last year, for sure.
"I'm relaxed, I don't put too much pressure on myself," he added. "I know we have a good team and we know what we have to do."
Indeed, having a good team around him is going to be vital if Pogacar is to win his third title in four years, and UAE Team Emirates have named a line-up they hope will best support their star rider. Adam Yates – winner of the tour's white jersey winner for best young rider in 2014 – and two-time King of the Mountains Rafal Majka will provide the experience and knowhow to assist Pogacar in the gruelling ascents.
"We had a lot of injuries this year but I'm really happy with the team composition," the Slovenian said. "We have a really good team with good guys and everyone is super motivated. We cannot wait to start the tour."
Yet, Pogacar admitted there was a time after breaking his wrist that he wasn't sure if he would be taking his place on the start line in Bilbao. "Maybe the second week after the injury when I still had the full cast on, I was a bit worried because I couldn't even be on the home trainer."
Thankfully, he got a plastic cast fitted which allowed him to begin training on the bike. A training block in Spain's Sierra Nevada with the team was followed by some time in the French Alps "to see some stages", before he made his competitive return last week by winning the time trial and road race double at the National Championships.
While this year's preparations have differed from past tours, Pogacar hopes it can actually work in his favour.
"I started proper training a few days later than I would if I wasn't injured, but I compensated with running, hiking, even swimming," he said. "Maybe it will help for this year, arriving at the tour a bit more fresh. I'm in really good shape but with a tiny bit of a different approach than the last three years."
Away from the primary narrative of who, in just over three weeks, will ascend the podium in Paris, a big talking point has been on safety.
It comes after the death of Gino Mader, who crashed down a ravine in a descent at the Tour de Suisse, raising more questions about riders' safety and triggering calls for safety nets in the most dangerous downhill sections. The topic was discussed at the teams meeting with organisers on Wednesday.
Pogacar was not drawn into the discussions over rider safety but did pay tribute to his friend.
"I think the whole cycling world wants to ride in his memory," he said. "It's really sad what happened. Gino didn't have any enemies or bad relationships in the peloton. He was super kind and friendly to everyone. I was honoured to ride with him since under-17s. We had a lot of great battles. It's a big shock to everybody."
