Pogacar cements status as odds-on Tour de France favourite in Copenhagen time trial

UAE Team Emirates teams Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar celebrates on the podium with the Best Young rider jersey after the 1st stage of the Tour de France
UAE Team Emirates teams Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar celebrates on the podium with the Best Young rider jersey after the 1st stage of the Tour de France (Image credit: ANNECHRISTINE POUJOULAT AFP via Getty Images)

Tadej Pogačar came within just seven seconds of starting the 2022 Tour de France on Saturday in the same way the UAE Team Emirates rider had completed the 2021 race, as he claimed a morale-boosting third place in the opening time trial.

Pogačar might have ended up having to settle for the white jersey of best young rider rather than yellow on Friday, but his first pedal strokes in the 2022 Tour left no doubt as to his form this July.

Alasdair Fotheringham

Alasdair Fotheringham has been reporting on cycling since 1991. He has covered every Tour de France since 1992 bar one, as well as numerous other bike races of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the Olympic Games in 2008 to the now sadly defunct Subida a Urkiola hill climb in Spain. As well as working for Cyclingnews, he has also written for The IndependentThe GuardianProCycling, The Express and Reuters.