UAE Team Emirates rider Tadej Pogacar is all set to return to competition in Spain this weekend after finishing second in an enthralling Tour de France on Sunday.
The Slovenian rider was denied a third successive Tour title by Jonas Vingegaard, after losing a number of key team members during the competition, either to Covid-19 or injury.
However, the 23-year-old will be back on the road this weekend at the San Sebastian Classic in northern Spain before taking a break.
"The 23-year old will be in action as soon as next weekend for the San Sebastian Classic in the Basque Country before taking a break and building up towards a block of one-day races," UAE Team Emirates said in a statement.
Pogacar will not take part in the Vuelta, which starts on August 19, as he builds towards the world championships in Australia at the end of September. He is then scheduled to defend his title at Il Lombardia.
Following the Il Lombardía, Pogacar and his fellow teammates will return to the UAE for one final warm-weather training camp before the curtain falls on the 2022 season.
Following his second-place finish at the Tour de France, Pogacar said he was pleased with the effort his team put in.
"I can be really happy with this Tour de France,” Pogacar said.
“For sure we wanted to win, but also the second place and three stage wins is something to be proud of. I am looking for new challenges. Stage wins are always incredible in the Tour. It's something I cannot describe. For me, that's why it's so beautiful.”
Pogacar lost as many as four teammates during the Tour. Vehard Stake Laengen and George Bennett dropped out after testing positive for Covid-19, while Marc Soler was forced to pull out after falling ill and Rafal Majka got injured.
Pogacar's programme for 2022:
July 30, San Sebastian Classic
August 28, GP Plouay
September 9, GP Quebec
September 11, GP Montreal
September 25, World Championships
October 1, Giro Dell’Emilia
October 4, Tre Valli Varesine
October 8, Il Lombardía
The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes. Portland is a 260 km drive from Seattle and Emirates offers codeshare flights to Portland with its partner Alaska Airlines.
The car
Hertz (www.hertz.ae) offers compact car rental from about $300 per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.
Parks and accommodation
For information on Crater Lake National Park, visit www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm . Because of the altitude, large parts of the park are closed in winter due to snow. While the park’s summer season is May 22-October 31, typically, the full loop of the Rim Drive is only possible from late July until the end of October. Entry costs $25 per car for a day. For accommodation, see www.travelcraterlake.com. For information on Umpqua Hot Springs, see www.fs.usda.gov and https://soakoregon.com/umpqua-hot-springs/. For Bend, see https://www.visitbend.com/.
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Indian construction workers stranded in Ajman with unpaid dues
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
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