June 22, 2025
Tadej Pogacar’s recent dominance at the Critérium du Dauphiné has sent shockwaves through the cycling world, and even seasoned professionals are taking notice. The Slovenian superstar, riding for UAE Team Emirates-XRG, delivered a performance nothing short of spectacular, claiming victory in three stages and securing the overall general classification title in the prestigious French race.
Pogacar’s breathtaking wattage figures during his climbs were one of the major talking points across the professional peloton. Fellow Grand Tour champion Geraint Thomas, speaking on his podcast this week, weighed in with a mixture of admiration and realism.
“Some of the wattages Pogacar was putting out…I saw the numbers and just laughed,” Thomas admitted. “I could maybe hold that for six, maybe seven minutes — and that’s on a good day.”
The Welsh rider, known for his Tour de France victory in 2018 and his experience across all three Grand Tours, acknowledged that Pogacar’s display at the Dauphiné has made him an overwhelming favorite for the upcoming Tour de France, set to begin later this month.
However, Thomas’ own preparations for the Tour have been dealt a blow. The INEOS Grenadiers veteran was competing in the Tour de Suisse, using the Swiss race as part of his buildup for July. After starting strongly, Thomas suffered a crash during the third stage en route to Heiden, forcing him to abandon the race.
Following the crash, Thomas reported pain in his knee and hamstring, prompting INEOS Grenadiers to make a precautionary decision to withdraw him from the fourth stage to avoid aggravating the injuries further.
“It’s frustrating, of course, but better safe than sorry,” Thomas said. “Hopefully it’s just a knock, and I’ll be back on track soon.”
While Pogacar sharpens his form with dominant victories, Thomas faces a race against time to be fully fit and competitive for the Grand Départ in Florence.
With the Tour de France fast approaching, all eyes remain on Pogacar, but whether Thomas will join the fight in peak condition remains one of the key storylines leading into cycling’s greatest race.
