Behind-the-scenes information about Pogacar and the 2025 Tour de France continues to emerge. Tim Wellens , the world champion's teammate at UAE Team Emirates, revealed previously unseen details in an interview with L'Equipe: “During the stage to Valence, he told me, 'Tim, we have a problem, my knee hurts a lot,'” Wellens said of what happened at the Tour. “ He was so bad that he got out of the car to see the doctor . After the stage, he went to the hospital for tests. They found inflammation or something, but no one knew what it was. He was really suffering, and we weren't sure he'd be able to reach the finish line. We even thought he might withdraw. You could tell his body wasn't right: it was swollen, he'd gained weight ,” added the 34-year-old. Fortunately, however, everything worked out for the best: “ Seeing him arrive in Paris was a huge relief . Everyone was wondering why he wasn't attacking, but now it makes sense. We were worried about him physically, but mentally he remained strong."

Pogacar himself, in an interview, had declared that he had thought about retiring during the last Tour de France , statements that had caused discussion, even if now another prominent figure of the UAE has confirmed it.  

Photo: Sprint Cycling Agency