Tadej Pogačar, beaten for the first time, vows to return better at next year's Tour de France

The UAE Team Emirates rider says he is 'hungrier' to win more after his first taste of Tour defeat

Tadej Pogačar
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Tadej Pogačar lost. Just say that sentence out loud for a moment, roll it around your mouth, it seems strange. Tadej Pogačar did not win this Tour de France. After stage six, when the UAE Team Emirates rider climbed into yellow, it felt like it might be race over already

Unlike the other two times the Slovenian stood on the podium in the maillot jaune, victory was not to be; instead, he found a worthy adversary in Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), who put time into him not once, not twice, but thrice. The Col du Granon, Hautacam and the Rocamadour time trial are all winning battle honours on Vingegaard's colour. Pogačar can be beaten.

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