Tadej Pogacar said on Monday he was ready to fight every kilometre with arch-rival Jonas Vingegaard in his bid for a fourth Tour de France title.
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Far from resting on his laurels with a four-minute lead in the standings, defending champion Pogacar insisted his thoughts were on closing out the win in the six days of riding left.
On the second rest day in the 21-day, 3,400km slog around France, Pogacar appeared much more mature than the 20-year-old who won the first of his three titles in 2020.
"You learn every week, every day on this race that you must stay focused," said the 26-year-old Team UAE rider.
"This is my sixth Tour. I miss the white jersey (for the best rider under 26), you know, but yes I've grown up, got more mature," said Pogacar.
He said he had also grown into this Tour.
"Nobody liked those stages at the start of the Tour, it was quite nerve-wracking, but you need to be focused," he said of the first week when he appeared a little annoyed at times.
Pogacar headed into the Pyrenees last week second only to surprise leader Ben Healy of Ireland.
But he grabbed the lead by winning two of the tough, mountainous triptych of stages, emerging 4min 13sec ahead of second-placed Vingegaard, with promising German rider Florian Lipowitz third.
"I'm actually enjoying the Tour now," he said.
- 'READY FOR A FIGHT' -
Asked about whether he planned to take part in the Vuelta a Espana, which begins on August 23, or if he prefered to take a break after his exertions on the Tour, Pogacar said the only thing he was sure about was giving it everything in the final week in France.
"Some riders are planning holidays. Not me. I'm thinking about the six days left. I haven't decided about racing the Vuelta. I'm not planning anything until after this Tour," he said.
As the peloton prepares to soar into the Alps on Tuesday Pogacar said he was prepared for an attack from Vingegaard.
"It's going to be tough. We are ready for a fight. With everybody, but especially Jonas, we've seen how strong he is."
"There are three mountains where he has previously been faster than me, But it is not about names, that was always because of the race situation," he said, recalling how the Dane had come close to denying him the win in 2021, and took the title in 2022 and 2023 when Pogacar was runner-up.
"It's not that i'm looking for revenge, I just want to do better," he said.
"I'm confident in myself, but I know Jonas can be too. I need to keep eating and sleeping well, and hope the mood persists.
"The group we have this year, at breakfast, on the bus, it's good. With the boys and the atmosphere, I'm happy to be part of this group, and I'd come here just to be with them regardless of the race."