Tadej Pogacar leads strong UAE Team Emirates lineup for Tour of Slovenia

Tour de France champion prepares for his title defence by competing in home race

UAE Team Emirates rider Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia, is seen wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, and Deceuninck-Quick Step rider Sam Bennett of Ireland, wearing the green jersey, before the official start. REUTERS

Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar (L) of UAE-Team Emirates wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey and Irish rider Sam Bennett (R) of Deceuninck Quick-Step team wearing the best sprinter green jersey greet each other before the start of the 21th stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 122 km from Mantes la Jolie to Paris, France. EPA

Slovenia's Primoz Roglic, left, who lost his overall leader's yellow jersey to Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar, right, gets a hug during the twenty-first and last stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 122 kilometers (75.8 miles), from Mantes-La-Jolie to Paris, France. AP Photo

Italy's Elia Viviani wears a face mask reading "No To Racism" as he arrives for the start of the twenty-first and last stage of the Tour de France cycling race. AP Photo

Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar of the UAE Team Emirates, bearer of the Yellow T-shirt waves from the podium before the start of the 21st and last stage of the Tour de France 2020 cycling race over 122km from Mantes-La-Jolie to Paris, France. EPA

Team UAE Emirates rider Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey attends the start of the 21st and last stage of the 107th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 122 km between Mantes-la-Jolie and Champs Elysees Paris. AFP

Team UAE Emirates rider Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey (3rd-L) and Team UAE Emirates riders ride during the 21st and last stage of the 107th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 122 km between Mantes-la-Jolie and Champs Elysees Paris. AFP

Team Jumbo rider Slovenia's Primoz Roglic waits prior to the 21st and last stage of the 107th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 122 km between Mantes-la-Jolie and Champs Elysees Paris. AFP

Spectators watch the peloton passing by during the 21st stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 122 km from Mantes la Jolie to Paris, France. EPA

Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar (2-nd L) of the UAE Team Emirates, flanked by teammates, wears the overall leader's yellow jersey as waiting for the start of the 21st and last stage of the Tour de France 2020 cycling race over 122km from Mantes-La-Jolie to Paris, France. EPA

Tadej Pogacar will continue preparations for his Tour de France title defence by competing in his home race, the Tour of Slovenia, after being named in a strong UAE Team Emirates lineup on Monday.

The five-stage tour begins on Wednesday and concludes next Sunday, June 13 and Pogacar will be ably supported by two former champions.

Italy's Diego Ulissi is the defending champion having won the 2019 edition. Last year's race was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ulissi also won the race in 2011.

Polish rider Rafl Majka, who joined UAE Team Emirates this season, has also enjoyed success in Slovenia following his title in 2017 while riding for Bora–Hansgrohe.

The three riders will be joined by Slovenian Jan Polanc, Italy's Matteo Trentin, Vegard Stake Laengen of Norway, and Portugal's Rui Oliveira.

“I’m really looking forward to come home to race the Tour of Slovenia," Pogacar said. "I’ll be racing against friends, old teammates and it will be a real buzz to be home on familiar roads. It’s going to be nice having the local support too.

"It’s an exciting time for Slovenian cycling now and I’m sure we can look forward to a great race. I think our team is very strong and we hope to be fighting for the victory.”

The Tour of Slovenia represents a key race in Pogacar's preparation for the Tour de France, which starts on June 26.

Pogacar, then 20, made history when he won the Tour de France last year, becoming the youngest winner in 116 years and the first ever from his country.

Following the Tour of Slovenia, Pogacar will remain in his homeland for the National Championships, before taking his place on the Tour de France start line. That will then be followed by the Tokyo Olympic Games.