‘Almost impossible to beat him’ – GC challengers see crosswind chaos as disruption to Pogačar’s dominance at UAE Tour

When you consider that Tadej Pogačar hasn’t lost a one-week stage race since Itzulia Basque Country in 2021, you can understand the realism with which defending champion Lennert Van Eetvelt and two-time podium finisher Pello Bilbao framed their answers at the UAE Tour press conference.

Even at that race specifically, it was only the elite pairing of Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard that did for Pogačar’s chances, with almost every seven-day race he’s done since resulting in imperious victory.