Tadej Pogacar seals 'dream' Paris-Nice victory for UAE Team Emirates

13.03.2023 - 09:31 thenationalnews.com

Tadej Pogacar won cycling's Paris-Nice on Sunday when his solo triumph on the Riviera town's iconic Promenade des Anglais propelled the UAE Emirates rider to a crushing overall victory on his first entry to the eight-day event.

The Slovenian, a double Tour de France winner, finished alone to clinch a third individual stage of the race, bowing to the crowds as he crossed the line, with Frenchman David Gaudu ending second overall and Jonas Vingegaard in third. “It was always my dream to win Paris-Nice,” Pogacar, 24, said. “The competition here was really huge.

To be alongside David Gaudu and Jonas Vingegaard on the podium is special.” Pogacar has changed his schedule this season in a bid to regain the Tour de France title he let slip to Vingegaard in 2022.

He was leading going into Sunday's mountainous stage in the Nice backcountry and made a solo break on the final climb. Merci

cycling mountaineering victory Tour De-France Tadej Pogacar Jonas Vingegaard France Uae Slovenia

Tadej Pogacar says that his best chance of victory at Sunday’s Tour of Flanders will be by making it to the end alone and avoiding a sprint finish with the likes of Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert. The trio are the favourites in Belgium; Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) warmed up with victory at the E3 Saxo Classic, while Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) is the defending champion after edging out Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) last year. Ad Two-time Tour de France winner Pogacar acknowledged ahead of the event that his best chance lies in losing Van Aert and Van der Poel on the cobble-strewn 273km course and not relying on the Oude Kwaremont-Paterberg finale.

Wout van Aert snatches victory at E3 Saxo Classic as Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar attacks fail

Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) got his rewards for suffering up and down the cobbles as he defended his title at E3 Saxo Classic after an absorbing scrap with Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin–Deceuninck) and Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates). Despite being distanced on the climbs under pressure from his two superstar rivals, the elastic never fully snapped, allowing the Belgian to latch back on before winning a three-up sprint in the dress rehearsal for the Tour of Flanders on April 2. Ad “I really wanted to focus on the sprint and try to stick to one plan,” said Van Aert.

Alberto Contador exclusive on Tadej Pogacar's Tour de France revenge mission - 'He looks unbeatable but…'

Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) may look “unbeatable”, but Eurosport expert Alberto Contador has warned there are few guarantees when it comes to the Tour de France. Pogacar has started the season in scintillating fashion as he targets revenge at the Tour, having seen Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) end his two-year streak in the yellow jersey. Ad He bludgeoned Vingegaard to comfortably win Paris-Nice earlier in March, while he also boasts wins at Vuelta Andalucia and Jaen Paraiso Interior in 2023.

Alberto Contador tips Remco Evenepoel for 'great season', praises decision to ride Giro d’Italia in 2023

Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) has made a “good decision” to ride the Giro d’Italia in 2023 rather than the Tour de France, seven-time Grand Tour champion and Eurosport expert Alberto Contador has claimed. Evenepoel delivered a sensational maiden Grand Tour title at La Vuelta last year, fuelling excitement over a potential showdown with Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) and Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) this summer. Ad However, he has opted to race for the maglia rosa instead in 2023 and will headline a stacked field alongside Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) and Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) in May.

Mathieu van der Poel emulates his grandfather with stunning Milano-San Remo victory from Filippo Ganna and Wout van Aert

Sixty-two years after his grandfather Raymond Poulidor won Milano-San Remo, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) put in a pulverising performance to win the first Monument of the season on the via Roma in style. The Dutchman attacked from a leading quartet near the top of the Poggio to open up a small but decisive gap over Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), Belgium’s Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) and Italy’s Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers).

Van der Poel solos to emotional Milan-Sanremo victory

Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel won the Milan-Sanremo on Saturday to claim the first Monument of the season, 62 years after his grandfather won the race.