Tadej Pogacar Aims for Double Win in Quebec Cycling Races

Quebec, Canada — Tadej Pogacar, the 26-year-old Slovenian cyclist for UAE Team Emirates XRG, is set to compete in the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec and Montréal this week with the goal of winning both races. Following last year’s triumph in Montreal, where he finished first, Pogacar felt disappointed with his seventh-place finish in Quebec.

“It wasn’t normal that I didn’t win,” Pogacar expressed during a recent conversation with Joseph Limare, the director general of the races. Limare noted Pogacar’s eagerness to perform better this year: “He wants to win both races back to back.”

The race course in Quebec has changed, now featuring a climb in the final two kilometers, a modification that could benefit Pogacar. Quebec cyclist Hugo Houle remarked, “This will definitely favor him. His team will likely make the race difficult right from the start.”

Despite Pogacar’s strong form, he faces tough competition from Belgian cyclist Wout van Aert. Van Aert defeated Pogacar in the final stage of the Tour de France in July. “The finals will be spectacular,” Limare said. “Pogacar usually ends up on the podium, but we’ll see if a Belgian is there alongside him.”

Pogacar’s teammates, including strong contenders like Corbin Strong and Riley Sheehan, will play crucial roles in the strategy for the races. Houle noted, “We aim to be present in the race, but it depends on the team’s strategy.”

In a different turn of events, US cyclist Mike Woods announced earlier this summer that he would retire after this season but will miss the race in Montreal due to a hernia. His team stated, “Mike should have raced one last time on his local routes but will undergo surgery instead.”