"We are a strong team with a lot of good individuals. As long as we work together and do the best we can, we think we can beat him," said Primoz Roglic, winner of the Critérium du Dauphiné in early June, where he was absent. Pogacar.
His Dutch team took the first two places in this Tour de France preparation race with "Rogla" and Jonas Vingegaard, second in the Great Loop last year.
"Of course, I have more pressure. I am one of the leaders of the biggest race in the world, delivered the Dane, at home for the first three stages. But that does not affect me. Obviously that makes a big difference to be two leaders instead of one."
"We are really going to start with two leaders and we hope that we can challenge Pogacar," added the surprise guest on the podium last year.
It was by playing several cards that the Sky team won the Tour de France 2018, won by Geraint Thomas ahead of Chris Froome (3rd), then the Grande Boucle 2019, conquered by Egan Bernal, at the expense of Geraint Thomas (2nd ).
"Pogacar is the big favourite", admitted the sporting director of Jumbo Grischa Niermann.
The implacable 23-year-old Slovenian managed a raid in the first part of the season.
Winner of the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico, in the stage races, the world No.1 also shone in the classics by crushing the Strade Bianche and signing two top-5s in monuments (5th in Milan-Sanremo then 4th of the Tour of Flanders).
Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar of the UAE Team Emirates team before a training session, in Koge (Denmark), June 29, 2022 Marco BERTORELLO AFP
"Everyone needs to be at their best and we definitely need a two-leader strategy," insisted Grischa Niermann.
© 2022 AFP