Tadej Pogacar, questioned about the suspicions surrounding his overwhelming domination in a sport long plagued by doping, estimated Friday October 11 on the eve of the Tour of Lombardy, the last classic of the season, that current cycling was “ victim of his past » and that it would be « stupid to put your health on the line for ten years of your career “. “ There will always be jealousy, suspicion, I can’t do anything about it “, declared the Slovenian. At the Tour of Lombardy, at 26 years old, he is aiming for his 25th victory of the year to crown one of the most dominant seasons in history. He notably won the Tour of Italy and the Tour de France, a double which had not been achieved since the Italian Marco Pantani in 1998. “ Domination is present everywhere, in the business world as well as in sport. It lasts a few years until a new talent comes along », Underlined the leader of the UAE team who spoke at length on the issue during a press conference at his hotel between Milan and Bergamo. “ It’s a dangerous enough sport as it is with the accidents, the limits not to be exceeded for the heart. If you put your health on the line for ten years of your career it’s just screwing up your life, it’s stupid. I don’t want to risk getting sick one day », insisted the road world champion. Pogacar is vying for a fourth victory in a row at the Tour of Lombardy, a feat only achieved by Italian Fausto Coppi in the late 1940s.
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