Tadej Pogacar heads into the Tour de France looking to secure a fourth crown backed by the momentum of what has been a superb 2025 so far.
The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider has been in relentless form this season having sealed victories at the UAE Tour, La Fleche Wallone, Strade Bianche, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Tour of Flanders and the Criterium du Dauphine.
The latter title was particularly satisfying for Pogacar who won the race for the first time having held off the challenge of great rival Jonas Vingegaard on his way to victory.
The 26-year-old Slovenian heads to Le Tour start line in Lille on Saturday knowing that overall victory will take him level with British rider Chris Froome for race wins – with record-holding five-time victors Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain firmly in his sights.
And French legend Hinault is confident the record is there for Pogacar's taking. “I think that Pogacar will really leave his mark on cycling for a few years to come,” the 70-year-old told AFP this week.
“He is perhaps the only one who will be able to beat the record. He is only 26 years old. When you look at the list of victories he's already won, he's well on schedule.
“He's already won three Tours de France, the Giro d'Italia, the world championship title, the classics … He's a complete rider.”
Ahead of Saturday's Grand Depart, Pogacar speaks to The National about his season so far and his hopes for the upcoming race.
Q: You’ve had a mightily impressive start to the 2025 season. Now you’ve had a bit of time to reflect, how do view your efforts so far?
A: It’s been an incredible start to the season, one that I will remember for a long time. Starting in the UAE, in front of our incredible fans, all the way through to the recent win at the Dauphine. I feel extremely happy. Chapeaux to the team, without them, I would not have been able to get these amazing results.
Q: Your win at the Dauphine was particularly dominant, three stage wins and the overall title. How much confidence does that give you heading into this year’s Tour de France?
A: I arrived at the Dauphine wanting to continue my preparations for the Tour de France, but of course, I wanted to win as well. On Stage 1, Jonas attacked me, and it was painful, but I managed to recover and take an amazing win.
The real test came at the end of the week, and I want to say a huge thank you to my teammates, their support made my job easier, and my legs felt good all week. So in the end, it was a perfect preparation for what’s to come.
Q: The team gathered for a pre-Tour training camp at Isola 2000. How important was that time together, and how is the mood within the team ahead of the big race?
A: Training camp with the team is always important, it gave us time to focus and put in some good training on the bike, but also to spend time together and really build that team spirit.
Of course, we were missing some riders, like Joao [Almeida], but it is also great to see him riding so well and taking so many wins. We know we have a big challenge ahead of us, but everyone is really focused, and the vibes are high.
Q: With another challenging Tour course on the horizon, are there any particular stages you’ve identified as crucial for the team’s overall ambitions?
A: As a team, we are focused on the overall goal – winning the Tour de France. The Tour is a race where every second counts and staying alert throughout every second is extremely important.
Of course, there is a focus on all the mountain stages, but as a team, we are confident in our legs and our ability to put in good performances. I can’t wait to get going.
Q: You’re chasing your fourth Tour de France title. what does this race mean to you, and how does it feel to have experienced so much success here?
A: Winning the Tour once is absolutely amazing, but winning it for a third time, in the way we did it last season, was unreal. The Tour means a lot to me, you’re battling the best riders in the world for three weeks, it’s relentless at times.
The whole world stops to watch the Tour, it motivates me a lot to put in good performances for the fans of our sport, crossing the line in the yellow jersey will always be one of the best moments of my career.
Poacher
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UAE squad to face Ireland
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri (vice-captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
SPECS
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UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203S%20Money%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20London%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Zhiznevsky%2C%20Eugene%20Dugaev%20and%20Andrei%20Dikouchine%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%245.6%20million%20raised%20in%20total%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Day 1, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Dimuth Karunaratne had batted with plenty of pluck, and no little skill, in getting to within seven runs of a first-day century. Then, while he ran what he thought was a comfortable single to mid-on, his batting partner Dinesh Chandimal opted to stay at home. The opener was run out by the length of the pitch.
Stat of the day – 1 One six was hit on Day 1. The boundary was only breached 18 times in total over the course of the 90 overs. When it did arrive, the lone six was a thing of beauty, as Niroshan Dickwella effortlessly clipped Mohammed Amir over the square-leg boundary.
The verdict Three wickets down at lunch, on a featherbed wicket having won the toss, and Sri Lanka’s fragile confidence must have been waning. Then Karunaratne and Chandimal's alliance of precisely 100 gave them a foothold in the match. Dickwella’s free-spirited strokeplay meant the Sri Lankans were handily placed at 227-4 at the close.
UAE Team Emirates
Valerio Conti (ITA)
Alessandro Covi (ITA)
Joe Dombrowski (USA)
Davide Formolo (ITA)
Fernando Gaviria (COL)
Sebastian Molano (COL)
Maximiliano Richeze (ARG)
Diego Ulissi (ITAS)
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Raha%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Kuwait%2FSaudi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Tech%20Logistics%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2414%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Soor%20Capital%2C%20eWTP%20Arabia%20Capital%2C%20Aujan%20Enterprises%2C%20Nox%20Management%2C%20Cedar%20Mundi%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20166%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dubai World Cup Carnival card
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group 1 (PA) US$75,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.05pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (TB) $250,000 (Turf) 1,800m
7.40pm: Meydan Cup Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,810m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,600m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm: Al Shindagha Sprint Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m
The National selections:
6.30pm - Ziyadd; 7.05pm - Barney Roy; 7.40pm - Dee Ex Bee; 8.15pm - Dubai Legacy; 8.50pm - Good Fortune; 9.25pm - Drafted; 10pm - Simsir
RESULT
Everton 2 Huddersfield Town 0
Everton: Sigurdsson (47'), Calvert-Lewin (73')
Man of the Match: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton)
OIL PLEDGE
At the start of Russia's invasion, IEA member countries held 1.5 billion barrels in public reserves and about 575 million barrels under obligations with industry, according to the agency's website. The two collective actions of the IEA this year of 62.7 million barrels, which was agreed on March 1, and this week's 120 million barrels amount to 9 per cent of total emergency reserves, it added.
Bio:
Favourite Quote: Prophet Mohammad's quotes There is reward for kindness to every living thing and A good man treats women with honour
Favourite Hobby: Serving poor people
Favourite Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite food: Fish and vegetables
Favourite place to visit: London
General%20Classification
%3Cp%3E1.%20Elisa%20Longo%20Borghini%20(ITA)%20Trek-Segafredo%3Cbr%3E2.%20Gaia%20Realini%20(ITA)%20Trek-Segafredo%207%20secs%3Cbr%3E3.%20Silvia%20Persico%20(ITA)%20UAE%20Team%20ADQ%201%20min%2018%20secs%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
THE 12 BREAKAWAY CLUBS
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
'Outclassed in Kuwait'
Taleb Alrefai,
HBKU Press
