Tadej Pogaczar confessed that he was conflicted when he beat fellow Slovenian Primoš Roglic for the overall victory in the Tour de France. In an interview with L'Équipe (open new tab), Pogachar, a member of the UAE Team Emirates, also admitted that Tour winners must live with suspicion in the history of the sport.

Roglič led the Tour for 10 days, but Pogachar won the time trial to La Planche des Belles Filles on the final stage and dramatically lost the maillot jaune. Pogachar has been a supporter of Roglic throughout his career and paid tribute to his generosity at the finish.

"I didn't know what to feel at that moment. Everything was intertwined in my chest, there were conflicting emotions," Pogachar told L'Équipe.

"I had been a fan of Roglic since his first results; between the ages of 15 and 20 I had been screaming in front of the TV for him to win, and now I had beaten him and denied him the achievement of what he had dreamed of for years ...... It was truly strange. I kept telling myself, 'That's racing, that's sport, that's normal for me to want to win'"

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A striking image of the afternoon was a devastated Roglic interrupting Pogachar's post-stage interview after the first stage to congratulate him.

"In fact, it was Primosch who calmed me down. 'A few minutes after he crossed the finish line, I was in the TV tent and he found me and hugged me. I'll never forget that moment. ...... It was as if he was giving me permission to have fun and telling me it wasn't my fault."

Pogachal said.

Pogachar knew that many Slovenian supporters wanted Roglic to win the Tour. 'They were like me, they wanted Primoš to win. They saw it on social media and they said to me, 'Well, he's going to win the Tour, but there's nothing I can do.' But there's nothing I can do."

Both players are based in Monaco and occasionally train together. When we run into each other [during training], one of us will make a U-turn and we'll continue together," Pogachar said. He's a good guy. He doesn't like to put himself forward. I talk to him a lot in the races. For me, he's not like a competitor."

Pogachar was just one day shy of his 22nd birthday when he took the maillot jaune down the Champs-Elysées. He told L'Equipe magazine that he was aware that his youth and the way he had won had caused some to view his victory with skepticism.

"All those who win the Tour are doubted. That is the history of cycling, and there are so many examples that it is difficult for people to believe," Pogachar said.

"We still need time to get out of that and gain respect again. We have to live with it. We don't talk about it among ourselves. We focus on what we're doing.

Asked if he knew the history of doping in pro cycling before joining the professional peloton, Pogachar replied: "Yes, when I was younger: ...... People used to talk about it a lot. Every year at the club I had to sign a pledge that I would never dope. I signed it for ten years."

"Last June, I watched the Lance Armstrong documentary, ESPN 30 for 30. I could see where doping was taking people. Today, I feel that doping in cycling has declined considerably.