Does Tadej Pogačar have anything to prove at this week’s Critérium du Dauphiné? Of course not.
Does Pogačar want to win the Dauphiné? Of course he does, and for a few reasons.
After losing the Giro d’Italia in a stinging final-week tactical ambush on the Colle delle Finestre, UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Pogačar will be racing to regain their winning momentum heading into July and remind everyone they’re still the peloton’s collective soul-crusher.
Pogačar and the UAE-backed super team barrel into the Dauphiné not just to fine-tune legs for the Tour de France, but to make a statement as well.
“We’ve just come off a really solid block of altitude training with the team and I’m feeling good,” Pogačar said Friday. “The legs are there, and the motivation is high.”
That’s Pogi-speak meaning that he is ready to rip the legs off everyone.
Dauphiné on Pogačar’s to-do list
Believe it or not, there are still races that Pogačar has started and has yet to win.
The Dauphiné — along with the Vuelta a España — is among them.
The Slovenian ace was fourth in his lone start in 2020, and he’ll be eager to change that on the mountainous roads of France.
“It’s been a few years since I’ve been to the Dauphiné and we’re excited to be there and racing again after many weeks of training all together,” Pogačar said. “We have a very good ambiance in the group, and we’re ready to pin on race numbers and show what we can do.”
THE BIG 3 ARE BACK
Tadej Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard will race TOGETHER for the first time in 2025 at the Criterium du Dauphine, starting June 8th! pic.twitter.com/5dHeeYDkQx
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) June 4, 2025
Pogačar last raced the Dauphiné in the COVID-shortened 2020 edition in his only start in the prestigious French event in what was about one month before he would rip the heart out of Primož Roglič in the closing TT at the 2020 Tour to capture the first of three yellow jerseys.
Who beat him in 2020 at the Dauphiné? Pogačar finished fourth behind Daniel Martínez, Thibaut Pinot, and Guillaume Martin.
First 2025 clash of the peloton’s GC triumvirate
Standing in his way will be the first showdown of 2025 of Tour podium rivals Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step).
Vingegaard hasn’t raced since crashing out of Paris-Nice with a concussion, and Evenepoel is hoping he’s in top form after a winter crash delayed much of his spring campaign.
Coming in fresh, Pogačar will race for the first time since stampeding across the spring classics and his devastating slash-and-burn victory at Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
After a short respite and a high-altitude training block in Sierra Nevada, Pogačar is not only using the race as the final stepping stone toward a maillot jaune defense but also to telegraph a message ahead of July’s Tour rematch.
After being outmaneuvered and outgunned at the Giro, UAE also wants to regain control of the narrative.
With arch-rivals Visma-Lease a Bike emboldened by its Giro coup, and Soudal Quick-Step racing to prove it’s strong enough to support Evenepoel, next week should deliver a high ratio of sparks per kilometer.
Does Pogačar want to remind everyone he’s still the boss? Of course he does.
This is the core of Pogačar’s Tour team
With Pogačar back at the reins, the world champion headlines a Tour de France-ready squad looking to reimpose its domination both at the Dauphiné and July.
While victory in June would be another nice plumb for Pogačar to pick, the Dauphiné is ultimately about July.
Looking at the seven-rider UAE roster, it’s clear this is the nucleus of Pogačar’s Tour de France support squad.
Pavel Sivakov, Nils Politt, Tim Wellens, and Marc Soler — all four who raced with Pogačar in last year’s Tour demolition — are lining up Sunday.
Newcomer Jhonatan Narváez and Slovenian sidekick Domen Novak round out the Dauphiné squad, and both could be heading to the Tour.
The 2025 Tour roster will be confirmed later, with João Almeida and Mikkel Bjerg, two more who could also be racing in July, lining up at the Tour de Suisse later this month.
UAE for Critérium du Dauphiné
Jhonatan Narváez (Ecu)
Domen Novak (Slo)
Tadej Pogačar (Slo)
Nils Politt (Ger)
Pavel Sivakov (Fra)
Marc Soler (Spa)
Tim Wellens (Bel)
#Dauphine, ️ (CET)
Sun, 8/6 | #1 | 14:37 – 15:04
Mon, 9/6 | #2 | 16:59 – 17:27
Tue, 10/6 | #3 | 16:57 – 17:26
Wed, 11/6 | #4 | 17:10 (⏱️)
Thu, 12/6 | #5 | 16:59 – 17:23
Fri, 13/6 | #6 | 17:01 – 17:20
Sat, 14/6 | #7 | 16:07 – 16:49
Sun, 15/6 | #8 | 16:59 – 17:25 pic.twitter.com/YCCEyGEOVC— ammattipyöräily (@ammattipyoraily) June 6, 2025