Tadej Pogačar enjoyed a weekend off from altitude training for the Tour de France, spending time as a VIP guest at the Monaco Formula Grand Prix. It seems his form is so good that he can take a break from training before an intense summer of racing.
Pogačar cheered for young Formula 1 driver Ollie Bearman and was driven in a sports car for a hot lap of the legendary Monaco circuit, where he also lives when not racing.
"What a wild weekend," Pogačar posted on Instagram, alongside photos with Bearman and his partner Urška Žigart.
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"Now back to altitude camp which is not that far from Barcelona."
Pogačar will soon race against major rival Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) at the weeklong Critérium du Dauphiné, which begins on June 8. He will have another spell at altitude and then target a fourth Tour de France, which begins in Lille, on Saturday July 5.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG are confident that the Slovenian will be at his best in July and so had no problem with Pogačar enjoying himself in Monaco.
"He's got amazing numbers, good condition, good shape and is super confident. He's relaxed but hungry for the races coming up," UAE sports manager Joxean Matxin told Cyclingnews and parts of the Slovenian media at the Giro d'Italia.
"Tadej was in Sierra Nevada for an altitude training camp. He then went home to Monaco."
"He'll ride the Dauphine, go back to altitude in France and do the Tour recon rides, before going directly to the Grand Depart."
Pogačar's teammates stayed on at altitude in Sierra Nevada.
The UAE Tour de France line-up has still to be confirmed but the long list includes Adam Yates, who is riding the Giro d'Italia, João Almeida, Tim Wellens, Domen Novak, Jonatan Narvaez, Marc Soler, Pavel Sivakov and Nils Politt. As well as, of course, Pogačar.
