Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar retires from Olympic Games

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Even Tour de France slayer Tadej Pogačar gets tired sometimes.

Pogačar took his yellow sweater On Monday he decided to cancel his planned participation in the Olympic road race due to fatigue.

Elsewhere, this year’s extra-grueling Tour de France has taken its toll on even more of the sport’s biggest stars.

The plans of Jonas Vingegaard, Primož Roglič and Mark Cavendish are unclear, while calm has still not returned after three weeks in France.

The Slovenian Cycling Federation confirmed on Monday that Pogačar, who won 12 stages and two Grand Tour titles in three historic months, will miss the road race in Paris on August 3.

“The men’s cycling team selector has announced the names of the cyclists who will participate in this year’s Olympic Games in Paris. Unfortunately, Tadej Pogačar will not be among them, who has canceled his appearance due to excessive fatigue,” the Slovenian federation said in an Instagram post.

Domen Novak, Jan Tratnik, Matej Mohorič and Luka Mezgeč will represent Team Slovenia in Pogačar’s absence.

On the other side of the paddock, Tour de France runner-up Vingegaard confirmed he will not ride the Vuelta a España due to “exhaustion” after battling through France with the hangover of a series of career-threatening injuries.

“I will not be at the start of the Vuelta a Espana,” Vingegaard told Eurosport“I have other priorities this year, but I will definitely be there again in the future.

“I’m tired, I don’t think I’ve ever been this tired after a big tour,” Vingegaard continued. “Honestly, I’m exhausted. I need some rest now.”

Elsewhere, Roglič, the “Big 4” player who never made it to Nice, remains in the sickbay after his Tour de France ended on the tarmac in a crash on stage 12.

Officials at Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe are closely monitoring Roglič’s injuries and have yet to confirm rumours that the three-time international is a star player. Red pullover will return to racing in Veulta a España.

And Cavendish?

The 35-time stage winner gave journalists a stark hint after the final stage of the Tour de France on Sunday that he may have completed his last professional cycling race.

Pogačar all-in for rainbow, no sure plan for Vingegaard

Pogačar has already confirmed that the Vuelta a España is not in his summer season.

With the Olympics now also off the agenda, the path is open for Pogačar to pursue one of the few titles not yet on his full schedule. palmares.

The Slovenian already made history with his one-two victory in the Giro d’Italia-Tour de France, equalling Marco Pantani, and is now on the hunt for a rainbow jersey that would give him an equally mythical ‘triple crown’.

Only Eddy Merckx and Stephen Roche have won the Giro, the Tour and the World Road Championships in one season.

The GP races in Canada in early September will provide Pogačar with a warm-up for the World Championship road race in Zurich.

“Van der Poel looks really good in the World Championship shirt. I want to take over from him this year,” Pogačar said on Sunday after winning his third Tour de France title.

“We’ll see. I want to have the rainbow jersey on my back once, but I still have time for that.”

Pogačar will likely conclude his season in October with a series of one-day races across Italy, before defending his title at Il Lombardia.

#TDF2024

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For a moment we feared for your life. You showed what a fighter you are. You made not only us incredibly proud, but the whole world. ❤️‍

You may not have won the Tour this year, but you certainly won hearts. You are truly a… photo.twitter.com/Iu6ZfL6CxT

— Team Visma | Lease a bike (@vismaleaseabike) July 21, 2024

Vingegaard, who earlier this summer hinted that the Tour of Spain was never on the agenda due to family circumstances, may take it a lot easier at the end of the summer.

The 27-year-old rider jumped out of his hospital bed after his fall in the Basque Country in April and immediately started training for the Tour de France.

“It was quite a journey,” Vingegaard said Eurosport this weekend.

“It was only three and a half months ago that I had the worst accident of my career, breaking almost every bone in the upper right side of my body and rupturing both lungs.”

Currently, there are no more races on Vingegaard’s schedule for 2024.

Sepp Kuss on course for title defense in the Vuelta a España

This year, Tour de France stars Pogačar and Vingegaard will not be at the start in Lisbon on August 17 in the Vuelta a España, but defending champion Sepp Kuss will.

Visma-Lease a Bike confirmed this month Velo that Kuss, who was unable to compete in the Tour de France due to COVID, will lead the team in a defense of the red jersey.

The line-up for The round has yet to be confirmed, but rumour has it that a Spanish climber fleet consisting of Juan Ayuso, Mikel Landa and Carlos Rodríguez could be Kuss’ top contenders in the final Grand Tour of the season.