{"id":124407,"date":"2026-07-02T17:42:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T17:42:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/02\/the-biggest-quotes-before-the-2026-tour-de-france\/"},"modified":"2026-07-02T17:42:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T17:42:09","slug":"the-biggest-quotes-before-the-2026-tour-de-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/02\/the-biggest-quotes-before-the-2026-tour-de-france\/","title":{"rendered":"The Biggest Quotes Before the 2026 Tour de France"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"justify-start\">\n<nav class=\"align-left col-span-full mb-base\" data-pom-e2e-test-id=\"breadcrumbs\"\/>\n<p>Every Tour begins with hope. Here&#8217;s what Poga\u010dar, Vingegaard, Evenepoel, Seixas, and Van der Poel are dreaming about before the 2026 Tour de France.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/p>\n<p class=\"fp-leadCaption py-tight text-left font-utility text-utility3-size leading-utility3-line-height text-secondary\">Poga\u010dar looks confident ahead of the 2026 Tour de France. <!-- --> (Photo: Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-body\">\n<p>Published July 2, 2026 11:42AM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>BARCELONA (Velo) \u2014 <a target=\"_self\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/tag\/tadej-pogacar\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Tadej Poga\u010dar<\/a> strolled into the podium in front of the Sagrada Familia to the roar of the packed crowd ahead of the <a target=\"_self\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/tag\/tour-de-france\" rel=\"noopener\">Tour de France<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If Poga\u010dar needed one more reason to be called the pre-race favorite, the fan reaction only confirmed it.<\/p>\n<p>The 2026 Tour opens with its deepest and most interesting start list of the Poga\u010dar era.<\/p>\n<p>The rise of new talents like <a target=\"_self\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/tag\/paul-seixas\" rel=\"noopener\">Paul Seixas<\/a> and <a target=\"_self\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/tag\/isaac-del-toro\" rel=\"noopener\">Isaac del Toro<\/a> are elbowing in on <a target=\"_self\" class=\"article-content-link text-brand-primary underline hover:text-brand-primary\/85 break-words overflow-wrap-anywhere underline-offset-[3px]\" data-afl-p=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/tag\/jonas-vingegaard\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Jonas Vingegaard<\/a>, Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz as the podium favorites.<\/p>\n<p>The eternal rivalry between Poga\u010dar and Vingegaard will play out across this entire Tour, with a dogfight behind them.<\/p>\n<p>It all starts Saturday, and the top favorites faced the media for one last form check before the start of the Big Loop.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what they said ahead of Saturday\u2019s start:<\/p>\n<h2>Tadej Poga\u010dar: Same as it ever was<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_991029\" class=\"pom-image-wrap photo-alignnone\"><img alt=\"Tadej Poga\u010dar\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-991029\" style=\"color:transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2284324437-720x480.jpg?width=750&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 1x, https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2284324437-720x480.jpg?width=1920&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 2x\" src=\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2284324437-720x480.jpg?width=1920&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover\"\/><figcaption class=\"pom-caption\"><span class=\"article__caption\">Poga\u010dar during training for the team time trial.<\/span> (Photo: Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>On rivalry<\/strong><br \/>I don\u2019t think he\u2019s the only one. There are quite a few guys who can aim for the victory and the guy next to me [Del Toro]. The competition between me and Jonas has been spectacular and it will continue for a few years more. We push each other to new heights every year and we will see how far we will go.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Only 16 days of racing in 2026<\/strong><br \/>I enjoy racing all my life, and maybe I even more every year, because I am here with everyone on the team. The racing is always there, but I feel better to come back to have a good time with my teammates and staff. That\u2019s what I enjoy most.<\/p>\n<p><strong>His wish for the Tour<\/strong><br \/>That he [points to Del Toro] wins the Tour de France.<\/p>\n<h2>Jonas Vingegaard: More confident than ever<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_991028\" class=\"pom-image-wrap photo-alignnone\"><img alt=\"Jonas Vingegaard\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-991028\" style=\"color:transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2283731227-720x480.jpg?width=750&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 1x, https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2283731227-720x480.jpg?width=1920&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 2x\" src=\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2283731227-720x480.jpg?width=1920&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover\"\/><figcaption class=\"pom-caption\"><span class=\"article__caption\">Vingegaard joins teammates on a pre-Tour training ride.<\/span> (Photo: Anne-Christine POUJOULAT \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Preparation after Giro<\/strong><br \/>After about a week I started training again. I\u2019ve been in Tignes in France at altitude, and I think I am ready for this race and I really looking forward to it. It\u2019s been an amazing year for me so far, and hopefully I can continue.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Coming out of the Giro<\/strong><br \/>Without taking anything away from the Giro, I didn\u2019t have to completely kill myself. I didn\u2019t come out of the Giro completely on my knees. That helps to recover faster and get back to training quicker. If you\u2019re on your knees after the Giro, you need two weeks or more to recover. I came out of the Giro in a good way and I could start building toward the Tour.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dropping Poga\u010dar<\/strong><br \/>Tadej is the strongest rider in the world and I am proud that I am one of the few riders who\u2019ve been able to drop him. It motivates me even more to do it again.<\/p>\n<p><strong>On new approach to Tour<\/strong><br \/>I feel better, stronger, and even happier in a mental state. I\u2019ve had a very good year and I\u2019ve enjoyed racing more than last year. We realized after last year it wasn\u2019t so enjoyable to do what we did every year for the past five years, so we tried to mix it up. So in a mental state, I am in a very good place.<\/p>\n<h2>Remco Evenepoel: Betting that fresher is better<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_991027\" class=\"pom-image-wrap photo-alignnone\"><img alt=\"Evenepoel\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-991027\" style=\"color:transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2284356061-720x480.jpg?width=750&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 1x, https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2284356061-720x480.jpg?width=1920&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 2x\" src=\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2284356061-720x480.jpg?width=1920&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover\"\/><figcaption class=\"pom-caption\"><span class=\"article__caption\">Evenepoel pushed back against suggestions that co-leadership is a bad thing.<\/span> (Photo: Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Sharing leadership<\/strong><br \/>We know it already for a long time that we are working here together, so we are prepared for it. We did already at Catalunya. There is nothing special to it anymore from my side.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Not racing since Li\u00e8ge<\/strong><br \/>For me it was the best decision to not race anymore since Li\u00e8ge. I\u2019ve had a lot of time to prepare in a good way. I needed to change my coach after Li\u00e8ge, and that\u2019s a big reason I didn\u2019t take any more racing so I could work well with my new coach. I did the best I could and now we\u2019ll see if it was the best approach or not. We will see after the Tour how it went.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Goals for the Tour<\/strong><br \/>Win a stage, win the TTT and take yellow on day one, and after that, of course we both want to be on the podium. If we do it in a good way without this negative energy it\u2019s good for the team. We both want to do what we\u2019ve done in the past and that\u2019s to be on the podium.<\/p>\n<h2>Paul Seixas: France\u2019s great hope<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_991000\" class=\"pom-image-wrap photo-alignnone\"><img alt=\"Paul Seixas\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-991000\" style=\"color:transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2284343014-720x480.jpg?width=750&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 1x, https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2284343014-720x480.jpg?width=1920&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 2x\" src=\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2284343014-720x480.jpg?width=1920&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover\"\/><figcaption class=\"pom-caption\"><span class=\"article__caption\">Seixas is ready to light up his first run at the Tour. <\/span> (Photo: Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Racing for GC<\/strong><br \/>It depends on how the race goes, We want to get to the mountain stages, we want to work together as a team. It would be a dream to win a stage.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Racing to win<\/strong><br \/>You go to every race with the idea to win, but this is the Tour and it\u2019s a new experience for me. Of course there are ways to win a competition like this, but first I need to see how it goes, how I perform and what level I have. After that, we\u2019ll see when we can call it a success.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Racing first grand tour<\/strong><br \/>What I am most curious about is how my body will react and recover after 10, 12 or 15 days of racing. Those are logical questions I ask myself, but not fears. If mistakes are made or when I experience difficult moments, I see that mainly as an important learning process for the future.<\/p>\n<h2>Jasper Philipsen: Chasing green<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Worth suffering through Alps<\/strong><br \/>You\u2019re always motivated to ride to Paris, even with Montmartre, there is still a chance for the win. Maybe there are five or six chances, but you never know how the peloton rides, if riders go into the break and make it harder for the sprinters.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Not enough chances for sprinters<\/strong><br \/>You can never say if a Tour route is fair or not for sprinters, but if there\u2019s only three or four, that\u2019s fewer chances for us. We will try to have as many possible chances for the sprints. But it looks like stage 17 might be the last one.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_991008\" class=\"pom-image-wrap photo-alignnone\"><img alt=\"Van der Poel Philipsen\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-991008\" style=\"color:transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2283761534-720x480.jpg?width=750&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 1x, https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2283761534-720x480.jpg?width=1920&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 2x\" src=\"https:\/\/velo-cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2283761534-720x480.jpg?width=1920&amp;auto=webp&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover\"\/><figcaption class=\"pom-caption\"><span class=\"article__caption\">Van der Poel and Philipsen headline the team\u2019s chances for victories. <\/span> (Photo: DAVID PINTENS \/ BELGA MAG \/ Belga \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Mathieu van der Poel: Outsider for yellow<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Racing against Poga\u010dar<\/strong><br \/>It\u2019s very nice to be part of this generation of cyclists. It\u2019s doesn\u2019t add any pressure. I\u2019ve had some good Tours and some bad ones, so I hope this is a good one.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Team time trial strategy<\/strong><br \/>For the TTT, I don\u2019t think there\u2019s anything special in the strategy, just go as fast as possible and then it\u2019s up to me launch up these final two climbs. The other teams will be doing the same thing. The level is so high, so the GC guys are also the favorites for a stage like this.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><span hidden=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/tour-de-france\/best-quotes-2026-tour-de-france-pogacar-vingegaard-evenepoel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every Tour begins with hope. Here&#8217;s what Poga\u010dar, Vingegaard, Evenepoel, Seixas, and Van der Poel are dreaming about before the 2026 Tour de France. Poga\u010dar looks confident ahead of the 2026 Tour de France. (Photo: Dario Belingheri\/Getty Images) Published July 2, 2026 11:42AM BARCELONA (Velo) \u2014 Tadej Poga\u010dar strolled into the podium in front of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":124408,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124407"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=124407"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124407\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/124408"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124407"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=124407"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=124407"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}