Tadej Pogačar ended the Tour de France with a series of attacks on the Champs Elysees and a new power threshold but has opted to take a break from racing to recover from his testing three-week battle with Jonas Vingegaard.
Pogačar pulled out of the Aalst criterium on Monday evening, preferring to head home and his UAE Team Emirates have confirmed that he won’t ride Sunday’s Championnats d'Europe des Grimpeurs - the new European Climber time trial Championships that are due to be held on the 12.5 km Tremola San Gottardo climb in Switzerland. Felix Großschartner will replace Pogačar in the event.
Pogačar will not ride Saturday’s Clásica San Sebastián or elsewhere. UAE Team Emirates have confirmed that he will not change his 2023 race programme and try to take on Jonas Vingegaard, Primož Roglič, Geraint Thomas and Remco Evenepoel at the Vuelta a España.
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Pogačar’s next race is expected to be the UCI Road World Championships race championships in Glasgow. However, he and the Slovenian national team have still to confirm his presence. He is expected to ride a series of one-day races in the final months of 2023, ending his season at Il Lombardia which he won in 2021 and 2022.
“After the Tour we decided it was best to take a bit of a break so unfortunately I won’t make it this time,” Pogačar said, referring to the European Climber Championships.
“After a bit of down-time I’ll see where my next races will be, but the focus right now is on rest. I wish Felix the best of luck, after his performance in the Tour de France, I think he will be a big favourite for the title. I will be cheering for him.”
The Coupe d'Europe des Grimpeurs is a time trial and will be filmed by drones, e-bikes or electric motorbikes.
The event will start from Tremola and finish at the top of the St. Gotthard Pass. The 12.5km course climbs 900 altitude metres at an average gradient of 7%.
The winners of the junior, under-23, elite and master categories will all be awarded a UEC European Champion’s jersey. Organisers have promised equal prize money for men and women.
Großschartner impressed as a mountain domestique for Pogačar at the Tour de France and so could win the first ever Coupe d'Europe des Grimpeurs.
“I’m very excited for this event which will give me the chance to bring home a European title,” he said.
“It’s a short, explosive effort but if I’m feeling good I think I can do well. Obviously there is a bit of fatigue still there from the Tour de France but after a few days recovery I should be good.”
