Tadej Pogacar's road to Tour de France: From Classics success to Giro d'Italia dominance

UAE Team Emirates' lead rider is aiming for a third title at the Tour de France, which starts on Saturday

UAE Team Emirates rider Tadej Pogacar has enjoyed a successful season leading in to the Tour de France. EPA

Tadej Pogacar will have more cycling history in his sights when he aims to become just the eighth rider to complete the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France double in the same season.

The Slovenian leads a strong UAE Team Emirates line-up at this year's Tour, starting on Saturday, and will be determined to go one better than the past two editions when he was denied the general classification title by Jonas Vingegaard and a formidable Team Jumbo Visma (now Team Visma Lease a Bike).

Pogacar, 25, is enjoying another stellar season ahead of his bid for a third Tour de France title, and unlike last year, there haven't been any untimely injuries to hinder his preparations. Instead, it's chief rival Vingegaard who's in a race against time to build his fitness ahead of the Grand Depart after the Dane suffered multiple fractures in a fall in March.

Ahead of the start of the Tour de France, here is a look at Pogacar's 2024 season so far.

UAE Team Emirates rider Tadej Pogacar celebrates while crossing the finish line to win the Strade Bianche in Siena, Italy, on Saturday, March 2, 2024. AP

Slovenian Tadej Pogacar stormed to victory at Strade Bianche, the first race of the season for the UAE Team Emirates rider. AP

Tadej Pogacar celebrates winning the Strade Bianche in Siena, Italy. AP

Tadej Pogacar dominated the field in the Strade Bianche race. AP

Tadej Pogacar on the podium after winning the one-day classic Strade Bianche. AFP

Race winner Tadej Pogacar, centre, with second placed Tom Skujins, left, of Lidl-Trek, and Maxim Van Gils of Lotto Dstny. AFP

Tadej Pogacar stormed to victory in Tuscany. AFP

Fans cheer Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar. AFP

Success in the Classics

The year began for Pogacar with the prestigious Classics. Strade Bianche at the start of March was first up for the Slovenian, and he made his intentions pre-race clear: Monte Santa Maria would be the place to attack. A demanding 11.9km climb over gravelled roads with 81km of racing left, a solo attack would seem audacious for anyone but Pogačar.

True to his word, he unleashed a relentless assault, leaving his opponents behind him as the fans were treated to a Pogacar masterclass. Victory in Strade Bianche marked his first triumph and set the tone for the next few months.

Transitioning to the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, Pogacar was ready to fine-tune his stage racing fitness for the upcoming Grand Tours. His form from Strade Bianche translated seamlessly, highlighted by a commanding win on top of Vallter 2000 on Stage 2. With visibility in the mountains non-existent – Pogacar appeared through the clouds with the peloton in his wake, to take the leader’s jersey.

Pogacar’s dominance became insurmountable as he clinched the overall classification, as well as the points and mountains classifications, with three additional stage victories rounding off a strong first stage race of the season.

Liege-Bastogne-Liege was next, a race that holds mixed memories for Pogacar. Having had to withdraw or abandon in the last two seasons, Pogacar returned to Liege emotionally charged and ready to fight for victory.

Sticking to the team’s plan, he attacked on the Cote de le Redoute with 34km remaining. Like Strade Bianche, no one could follow. It was another solo journey to the finish line, beating his nearest competitor Romain Bardet by one minute and 39 seconds. A visibly emotional Pogacar had won his second Liege-Bastogne-Liege, embracing his team at the finish line after marking his sixth monument win.

UAE Team Emirates rider Tadej Pogacar celebrates on the podium after Stage 17 of the Giro d'Italia on May 22, 2024. AFP

UAE Team Emirates' rider Tadej Pogacar smiles as he crosses the line to finish second on Stage 17 while increasing his overall lead to nearly eight minutes. AFP

UAE Team Emirates' Tadej Pogacar rides in a breakaway on the final climb in the 159km stage between Selva di Val Gardena and Passo del Brocon. AFP

UAE Team Emirates rider Tadej Pogacar and teammate Felix Grosschartner during Stage 17. Reuters

EF Education–EasyPost rider Georg Steinhauser celebrates after winning Stage 17, the first victory of his professional career. EPA

The peloton rides on the Ponte di Ronco in Ronco Scrivia. AFP

German rider Georg Steinhauser celebrates his win. EPA

Georg Steinhauser after his victory, which saw him win the stage by one minute, 24 seconds over Tadej Pogacar. AP

The peloton rides on Passo del Brocon during Stage 17. AFP

The pack rides on Passo del Brocon during the 159km Stage 17. AFP

The peloton rides on Passo del Brocon during Stage 17. AP

The pack rides in Passo Rolle during Stage 17. AFP

Giro d'Italia dominance

Pogacar was the overwhelming favourite on his Giro d'Italia debut and he emphatically lived up to the billing. Six stage wins, 20 days in the leader's pink jersey, and a winning margin of nine minutes and 56 seconds cemented his dominance after three weeks of Grand Tour racing.

His first of six wins came on Stage 2 when Pogacar conquered the mountain finish of Santuario di Oropa. Further control followed with a time-trial victory on Stage 7, where he outpaced the Italian Time Trial Champion Filippo Ganna by 16 seconds. The Slovenian strengthened his grip on the race with another win on Stage 8 before showcasing his stellar form once again with back-to-back victories on Stages 15 and 16.

Pogacar delivered another vintage performance on Stage 20, an arduous day featuring a double ascent of the famed Monte Grappa.

Donned in pink from head to toe and riding his pink bike, Pogacar asserted his superiority once more, leaving his challengers behind to win the penultimate stage by two minutes and seven seconds. As the team headed to Rome, they did so as Giro d'Italia winners following one of the most commanding Grand Tour performances of all time.

Pogacar's support cast in France

As Pogacar now focuses on the Tour de France, he will not be alone in his quest for greatness. He is joined by Adam Yates, who placed third at the Tour last year, as well as Juan Ayuso and Joao Almeida providing further support in the mountains. Yates and Almeida arrive in France after securing a 1-2 finish at the Tour de Suisse.

Marc Soler and Pavel Sivakov will provide help on all types of terrain, with Tim Wellens and Nils Pollitt rounding out a strong line-up. It is a team that has proven on several occasions, ready to support Pogacar through the challenges that the Tour will throw at him.

In unstoppable form and with a fine team providing vital support, Pogacar will once again be a leading contender this year. Having achieved history with his 2020 Tour triumph, becoming the youngest champion in 116 years and the first ever winner from Slovenia, the world's top-ranked cyclist has all the tools to achieve his third title.