The former French climber takes stock of the Tour de France after two weeks of racing crushed by Slovenian.
Winner of an epic stage of the Tour de France going up in the Alpe d’Huez in 2011, Pierre Rolland continues to accompany the queen cycling test. The former climber is a sponsor and member of the jury for the best team member worn by the Hauts-de-Seine department for the fourth year. “The price allows the public to understand that cycling is not an individual sport but by team and that the best team member is someone who puts himself at the service of the collective, who forgets his personal ambitions”he explains, proud to have been able to awarded this weekly distinction to João Almeida after the first week of racing and a vote of Internet users. “This is a runner capable of making the podium of the Tour and who puts all his personal ambition for Pogacar. The idea is really rewarding this kind of behavior ”he underlines before delivering his analysis on the 2025 edition and the overwhelming domination of the Slovenian.
Pierre, Tadej Pogacar rushes towards a fourth coronation in Paris when there are more than a week of race. Isn’t its domination a danger for the interest of the race?
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Pierre Rolland : Pogacar can end up boring, that’s for sure. But it is stronger, why would he make gifts to competition. We did not give him gifts when the Visma put the beating for him two years in a row. He has a killer mind and wants to win everything. It reminds me of the boys very hard in the cadet-juniors categories, when at 14-15 years old, some crush everything and win twenty-five races per year and which never get tired of it. It is the same but among the big ones.
How far can his stages raid on the Tour de France can go?
He can seek the record of Charles Pélissier dating from 1930 (8 stages like Eddy Merckx in 1970 and in 1974 and Freddy Maertens in 1976, editor’s note). Physically, he has the means. In any given time, will all circumstances be gathered to do so? And does he want to do it? And above all, is it good to do it? I do not think, for suspense, for interest.
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One week from Paris, should we continue to look at the Tour de France emptied of suspense?
He seems to have taken a final ascendant on Vingegaard. Are the best years of the Danish behind him?
It’s hard to say. It is true that it was less good in the climb of Hautacam on Thursday compared to that of 2022 but it is difficult to compare the times according to the Pogacar years is above everyone but Vingegaard remains above all the others too. Pogacar has progressed, it’s a certainty, but we are talking about a few percent of progression. This is a detail but which is important, the UAE team has the best road bike currently. They crossed a big course with their new equipment. And that also plays because cycling is also a mechanical sport.
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The French runners animate the stages but pedal after a first victory. Is it worrying when they got three last year?
They are there, however, Lenny Martinez is present every other day, Kévin Vauquelin is also present while no one had imagined it at such a level. We tapped on a French in the first ten or fifteen with Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet and Kévin plays the podium. But there is no stage victory. It’s hard, all the favorites in their specialty were there, Pogacar, of course, Van der Poel, the sprinters and Evenepoel too. It leaves little room, that’s for sure.
The interest of the last week of racing will focus on the fight for the podium with several contenders. What is your favorite?
Lipowitz. He will pass Evenepoel who will experience a failure shortly (the interview was carried out before the departure of the 14th stage in Pau, editor’s note). I announced it fifteen days before the Tour de France. Lipowitz is on the contrary on a ascending slope and his team will free him from the burden of accompanying Roglic no doubt. It will be POGACAR-VINGEGAARD-LIPOWITZ in Paris. Afterwards, there are always the vagaries of the race … for Kévin Vauquelin, it will be difficult. He is really at the limit. If it remains between 6th and 7th, it will be good.
