Tour de France 2022: Primoz Roglic says Tadej Pogacar rivalry is ‘special’ for fans and pushes him to improve

Updated 15/06/2022 at 08:17 GMT

Fresh from winning the Criterium du Dauphine, Jumbo-Visma’s Primoz Roglic is looking towards the Tour de France, where he is aiming to beat two-time winner Tadej Pogacar. The pair played out a memorable 2020 tussle, with Pogacar finishing 59 seconds ahead after overtaking Roglic in the penultimate stage. Watch the Tour de France and other top cycling live on Eurosport and discovery+.

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Primoz Roglic insists he cannot focus on Tadej Pogacar when the pair renew their rivalry at the Tour de France next month.

Pogacar is the two-time defending champion and prevailed in a memorable tussle with Roglic back in 2020.

Roglic was then forced to abandon last year’s race ahead of Stage 9 following a crash, and fresh from winning the Criterium du Dauphine, the 32-year-old Jumbo-Visma rider is relishing the prospect of competing in the Tour again, with the 2022 edition starting on July 1 in Denmark.

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“It is a race that I haven’t won yet. I would love to win it,” Roglic told Eurosport’s Cycling Show.

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“But I don't look at it like I have really bad memories about it. It's just some experiences that happened. Mostly it's incredible, like the way I won in 2017, I still remember my super good day going over Galibier and then finishing in Serre Chevalier.

“In cycling you're going to have a lot of different kinds of goals because there are just a crazy amount of races.

“But the Tour is definitely the biggest one, or one of the biggest ones. It depends for each individual. But for me, it’s a big goal to go there, do my best and try to win it.”

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Asked how much of his preparation has been about thinking about how to beat Pogacar, he added: “For me, I’m just trying to figure out how to get the best out of myself – how to prepare myself in the best way and how to function in the race the best way. I know the way and we will do it now in one month.

“[The rivalry] is pushing each other to be better. And definitely it's also something special for all the spectators and everyone around it.”

After Roglic pulled out of the Tour last year, team-mate Jonas Vingegaard went on to finish second behind Pogacar.

Vingegaard was also second at the Dauphine, and could be crucial in Roglic’s bid for a first Tour de France triumph.

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Roglic said: “He doesn't need to prove anything, [he was] second last year. Super strong rider and with him, we are also stronger as a team.”

On having Wout van Aert as a team-mate, Roglic added: “He's a super nice guy. Wout can do everything. All kinds of things. He doesn't need to prove anything. I always say he’s one guy, but in that one guy is two or three guys.

“He can do so many different things. On the other hand, all the guys around me are there for a reason. They are the best ones. Everyone has his own tasks, his own missions so go there, enjoy it and have fun.”

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Watch the Tour de France and other top cycling live on Eurosport and discovery+.

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