Tadej Pogacar is confident that he is on the right track to secure a third Tour de France crown as he looks to maintain his grip on the leader's yellow jersey going into Tuesday's Stage 10.
The UAE Team Emirates rider leads by 33 seconds after an impressive start to this year's race that saw him take over the general classification lead after Stage 2, with the Slovenian continuing the scintillating form that powered him to victory in the Giro d'Italia at the first attempt in May.
Pogacar holds a healthy advantage over Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) in second place, with reigning champion Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) third at one minute 15 seconds, and Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) fourth a further 21 seconds back.
The 2020 and 2021 champion tried to increase his lead after launching several attacks on Stage 9 but had to settle for maintaining his current advantage.
“I'm not afraid of anyone. I just need to have a good day every day like it has been every day so far,” Pogacar said on Monday's rest day. “I'm pretty satisfied in what I have been doing so far. Last year, it was all the way around. I had to close down the gap to Jonas. I managed to come to a minimum of nine seconds.
“However, this year is the other way around and I'm more comfortable now with the lead, 33 seconds ahead of Remco.
“It's not a crazy lead but also the way he's riding is super close so we can see great battles on the next stages and also other guys – Jonas and Primoz – are pretty close as well so it's better to be in the front at that point for sure, but it's not crazy big gaps.”
After Sunday's stage, Pogacar sounded bemused by Visma-Lease a Bike's strategy. “They only look at me and they underestimate the others. It could backfire,” said the 25-year-old at the end of a frantic 199km stage in Troyes that included 14 gravel sections.
“Tadej was the strongest,” admitted Vingegaard, whose defensive tactics were criticised by Pogacar and Evenepoel, with the Belgian saying that sometimes you have to show courage in the race, referring to the Danish rider.
Vingegaard, who three months ago sustained a collapsed lung and rib fractures in a crash at the Tour of the Basque Country, called it “riding smart” when asked about Evenepoel's comments.
The leading trio had the chance to distance fourth-placed Primoz Roglic on Sunday, but Vingegaard refused to collaborate, only focusing on not losing time.
Vingegaard insists he is waiting for his moment, knowing five more mountain stages and a potentially decisive time trial are still to come. “I'm growing into the race, feeling better every day,” he said. “I feel like I have already a high level. Way better than I could have expected after only one and a half months of preparation.”
Pogacar reiterated on Monday that there was no doubt who Vingegaard's eyes are locked on at this point in the race.
“After yesterday, Jonas is [clearly] focusing on me,” he said. “He’s a little bit afraid. I could see because if I would be in the back probably he would ride the same. It was just this dynamic that Jonas is focusing on me. But we will see in the climbs how it's going to go.
“They are trying to attack me mentally. They're not succeeding. I'm now used to it and already the last three or four Tours it was always the same. It doesn't hurt me any more. I have to be my own and I have to do my own race.”
The race now travels west to Orleans in the heart of France and continues on a 187.3km flat run into Saint-Amand-Montrond before the 211km mountain stage on Wednesday.
“Stage 11 is a pretty complicated one because it's super long stage, up and down, nothing crazy until the last few tens of kilometres, like 50-60 kilometres is super hard,” Pogacar said.
“A big breakaway will go and maybe stays [as] the breakaway then. It would be lovely to go for Stage 11, and it's a nice climb also. We’ll see how the race develops on that stage but for sure will be a pretty tough day.”