Before defending his title at the 2021 Tour de France, Tadej Pogachar must defend the performance that led him to victory in last year's race. The Slovenian won the time trial to La Planche des Belle Filles on the final day in what amounted to the most dramatic turnaround in the race's history, snatching the maillot jaune from compatriot Primoš Roglic.

In Code Yellow, an in-depth Dutch documentary on Jumbo Visma that aired on NOS in December, Roglic and teammate Tom Dumoulin expressed disbelief at Pogachar's performance. How did you do it?" asked Roglic, who had given Pogachar a nearly two-minute lead after a 36-km trial run, while Dumoulin likened the 22-year-old's riding style to that of a "coal miner."

Speaking to reporters via videoconference from the UAE Team Emirates training camp in Dubai on Monday, Pogachar downplayed the skepticism in the words of Roglic and Dumoulin, calling his ride at La Planche des Belle Fille "not incredible. (......) It was just unexpected," he described it.

"I think they spoke a little bit in the heat of the moment," Pogachar said.

"All in all, it wasn't unbelievable. We had a good day, we had good preparation, the bike change went well, and we had a great team to help us navigate the course and the preparation for the Tour.

"It was a key moment, where you can easily make a big difference.

Pogachar confirmed on Monday that he will target the 2021 Tour, as well as a return to the Vuelta a España, where he scored a hat-trick of stage wins and third place overall in his 2019 Grand Tour debut.

He will make his first appearance of the season at the UAE Tour in late February and will ride the Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico, Tour of the Basque Country, Ardennes Classic, and Criterium du Dauphiné toward July. If quarantine regulations permit, Pogachar will also compete in the Tokyo Olympics, which will be held between the Tour and the Vuelta.

Asked if he fears he will not live up to expectations in 2021, Pogachar replied: "It's something I dread every year. But that's life. As is often the case in cycling, if you stay focused and keep the same goals and motivation, I think you can still improve."

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During the winter, UAE Team Emirates sport director Alan Piper suggested that Pogachar enjoyed a quieter winter than recent Tour winners, as the COVID-19 pandemic limited travel and crowds.

"Of course, I had more interviews and media obligations, but I lived the same stress-free life as before," Pogachar said.

"Now I just have to prepare physically the same way I did last year and get good support from my team. It is much more difficult to be the defending champion of the Tour. It's my first time defending a race title and it's something completely new for me, but if I go into it with good preparation and motivation, I think I can do well."

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The 2021 Tour route includes two flat individual time trials (27 km to Laval on stage 5 and 31 km in the heart of Liburne wine country on the final weekend), and the details of Pogachar's race preparation will change accordingly. He says, "Before, I didn't do much TT bike training because I didn't think I'd have time. But now I need to incorporate time trial training into my schedule," Pogachar said.

"I mean, I am the defending champion and certainly the favorite to win. There are a lot of riders and we still have a long way to go to the Tour. We will know before the Tour who will be the real contender, who will win the most races and be the strongest in the Tour."

Rather than feeling burdened by the title of defending champion, Pogachar affirmed it and suggested that he would perhaps even find it liberating. After all, he is one of only five active riders to have won the biggest race.

"My motivation for next season is still the same, but I am certainly more relaxed than before. I haven't forgotten the past, but I don't think or talk about it all the time. I should focus on the next race."

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