The Slovenian cyclist, Tadej Pogačar, said today that he did not make a mistake in giving up participation in the Olympic Games in Paris, as he was "completely devastated" after winning the title at the Tour d'France.
In his absence, the Belgian Remko Evenepool won two gold medals - in the time trial and in the road race in Paris.
On July 21, Pogačar won the Tour, and the competitions at the Games began six days later, which is why he decided not to go to Paris, but to rest and recover.
"I didn't like that many people were pushing me to go to the Olympics, they called me and said that I should be there, that I can easily win a medal. Nothing is easy in cycling, especially the Olympics on tracks like this. I think that I made the right decision, since the day after the Tour d'France I was completely destroyed," Pogačar told reporters in Quebec, reported Eurosport.
He added that the season was hard and that his legs were heavy.
"I went full gaosm and I was in great shape, and after the Tour when I switched off, my body somehow went into shutdown mode and I felt pretty bad for the first two weeks," said Pogačar.
Pogačar won titles in two major races this season, the Giro d'Italia and the Tour d'France, becoming the first cyclist to do so since Marko Pantani in 1998.
He was also the fastest in the Strada Bianca, Volta Catalunya and Liège-Bastogne-Liège races.
The 25-year-old Slovenian cyclist will also participate in the World Championship in road cycling, which begins on September 21 in Zurich.
Before that, Pogačar will drive in the races in Quebec on Friday and in Montreal on Sunday.
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