While you imagine that Tadej Pogačar hasn’t misplaced a one-week degree race since Itzulia Basque Nation in 2021, you’ll perceive the realism with which protecting champion Lennert Van Eetvelt and two-time podium finisher Pello Bilbao framed their solutions on the UAE Excursion press convention.
Even at that race particularly, it was once handiest the elite pairing of Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard that did for Pogačar’s possibilities, with nearly each seven-day race he is achieved since leading to imperious victory.
With a 3rd UAE Excursion name in his attractions, do Van Eetvelt and Bilbao see it as just a race for moment in the back of the Global Champion? After all, they are going to get started with the optimism to win however each admitted the enormous of a job in entrance of them and the possible wish to wonder within the crosswinds if they’re to grab victory from the heavy favorite.
“You never want to start a race thinking you are racing for second place, but when Tadej starts, it’s always really hard to compete,” mentioned Van Eetvelt, talking on the Colnago Idea Retailer on Al Hudayriat Island.
“But you don’t start the race thinking you are going to be second or that second is the maximum possible. We’ll just start to try our best and we will see.”
Bilbao had an identical ideas about Pogačar’s presence within the UAE, with the just about all-powerful Slovenian forcing the Spanish rider to settle right into a race for moment in opposition to Van Eetvelt and the opposite GC favourites.
“I know this year is going to be really complicated to go for the victory, but we want to do something different to make a good challenge here,” mentioned Bilbao.
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“I would say, comparing with the numbers, it’s almost impossible to beat him on the climbs. So the only possibility is to find a surprise during a difficult moment in the race. But even like that, I think it’s going to be super hard.”
Bilbao was once 3rd in the back of Pogačar and Adam Yates right through the 2022 version of the UAE Excursion, dropping nearly all of his eventual 48-second deficit right through the 9km time trial. Then again, he and the opposite two GC favourites dominated out the race in opposition to the clock, which is now on a unique 12km route, being a lot of a decider for the full win.
“Of course, [the time trial is] always important and a few seconds can count towards the end,” mentioned Van Eetvelt. “But I think with him [Pogačar] here, there is a bigger chance that echelons will make a bigger difference in GC than the time trial and on the climbs, we will all fall into place.”
“It’s a short time trial again. The difference between the best is not going to be huge, though, maybe in the fight for the podium it can be a decider,” mentioned Bilbao, who was once 8th at the similar ITT route ultimately 12 months’s race. “But I don’t think it’s going to be too important for the GC.”
The struggle for the full name may just get started as early as degree 1, right through the most likely dash degree from Madinat Zayed Shams Sun Park to Liwa Palace. Uncovered roads within the wilderness be offering the opportunity of wind to shake issues up, on the other hand, the present forecasts do not glance as fruitful for echelons as they did on degree 2 of the UAE Excursion Girls.
Degree 2 and three, on the other hand, will take within the time trial and the primary summit end to Jebel Jais, so that are supposed to be the early indicator of whether or not both Bilbao, Van Eetvelt or anyone else can mount a problem for the crimson jersey in opposition to Pogačar.
