Tadej Pogacar, the reigning Tour de France champion, has withdrawn from the Tokyo Olympics 2021. The 22-year-old Slovenian cyclist, who won his second consecutive Tour de France title earlier this month, announced his decision on social media, citing the difficulties of switching from road cycling to mountain biking for the Olympic event.
Pogacar was due to compete in the Olympic cross-country mountain biking event, which takes place on July 26. However, he decided to withdraw from the event, saying that he wanted to focus on his preparations for the upcoming Vuelta a España, which takes place in August.
In a statement on Instagram, Pogacar said, “Unfortunately, I will not be able to compete in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. It was a difficult decision to make, but after giving it much thought, I have decided to withdraw from the race. The switch from road to mountain biking has proven to be more challenging than I anticipated, and I do not want to jeopardize my chances of success in the Vuelta a España.”
Pogacar’s decision comes as a disappointment to his fans, who were hoping to see him compete in the Tokyo Olympics 2021. He is one of the most promising young cyclists in the sport and has already established himself as a dominant force in road cycling.
However, Pogacar’s decision is understandable, given the demands of participating in multiple cycling events in a short period. The Tour de France is one of the most grueling events in the sport, and competing in the Olympic mountain biking event just two weeks later would have been a significant challenge.
Furthermore, Pogacar is still relatively inexperienced when it comes to mountain biking, having only recently started participating in the discipline. Although he has shown a lot of promise in his few mountain biking races, he still has a lot to learn before he can compete at the highest level consistently.
Despite his withdrawal, Pogacar’s achievements in the Tour de France this year have cemented his status as one of the top cyclists in the world. He won the race by a comfortable margin, finishing over five minutes ahead of his nearest rival. His performance in the race was all the more impressive given that he is still only 22 years old and was competing in just his second Tour de France.
Looking ahead, Pogacar’s focus will now be on the Vuelta a España, which takes place from August 14 to September 5. The race is one of the three Grand Tours of road cycling, along with the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia. Pogacar will be hoping to continue his outstanding form in the race and win his first Vuelta title.
In conclusion, Tadej Pogacar’s decision to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics 2021 is a setback for his fans but a sensible move from the young cyclist. While he undoubtedly could have given it his all in both the Tour de France and the Olympic mountain biking event, his decision to focus on the Vuelta a España is understandable. He has already achieved so much in his career at a young age, and his future is undoubtedly bright. Fans will be eagerly watching to see him compete in the upcoming Grand Tours of road cycling.
