Tadey Pogachar was enjoying an off-season on the beach in the Seychelles when the 2025 Tour de France route was announced in Paris on Tuesday, but he seems to like the mountain route and the return to the Col de la Rose.

Speaking to L'Equipe before his vacation, Pogachar described the route as “pretty brutal,” but was keen to remind us that he has won the Tour three times on similar terrain.

In the 2024 Tour de France, where Jonas Vingegaard struggled as he rushed to recover from a serious injury, Pogachar won the race with a dominant ride from start to finish. Pogachar finished 6:27 ahead of his rivals, with Remco Evenpole in third at 9:18.

He and his UAE Team Emirates team have yet to finalize their major goals for 2025. However, a fourth Tour win seems to be their top priority, probably followed by the Vuelta a España.

The 2025 Tour will include summit finishes at Autacam, Superbanière, Mont Ventoux, Col de la Rose, and La Plagne, plus an 11km mountain time trial to Peyragudo in the Pyrenees. The opening week offers opportunities for sprinters, but there are also several uphill finishes, giving Pogachar a chance to attack.

“It starts with a long first week in northern France. There are some tricky stages and a 33km time trial. [Then it's across France to the Pyrenees, with the first rest day in Toulouse, where we'll attack some great stages.

“I especially like the Peyragude time trial. I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes, but I've done well in the Pyrenees in the past.”

Vingegaard briefly trailed Pogachar at Mount Ventoux in 2021, but then closed the gap and won the Tour by 5:20. The Slovenian fears Géant de Provence, but seems to have his sights set on Géant de Provence in 2025.

The stage to Mont Ventoux is mostly flat, but the climb is very hard. I love that climb, and it will be even more interesting to see what happens after the rest day on day two.”

Pogachar famously shouted over the race radio, “I'm screwed, I'm dying,” at the Col de la Rose in the 2023 Tour de France; in 2025, stage 18 will be a 26.2 km climb at 6.5% via Courchevel to a 2304 m summit.

“The Alps are always hard. The stage to Col de la Rose is probably the queen stage.

“I think it will be a brutal stage,” Pogachar said of the climb and the entire 2025 Tour de France.

Pogachar recently signed a contract with UAE Team Emirates through 2030. He has already raced for this team for six years and is as hungry as ever.

“He is a born competitor. He has worked hard for five years. The terrain suits him too, doesn't it?”

Bernard Hinault commented to L'Equipe magazine.

UAE Team Emirates is confident that Pogachar is still motivated following an underwhelming season in 2024.

“After a very special and exceptional season for the whole team, it will not be easy to replicate it. But I am not worried about Taddei,” Andrei Hauptmann told L'Equipe.

“I have known him since he was a junior and he has always been good at motivating himself and finding new goals. He is special. Even in the flattest little races that don't suit him, he can do things that no one expects him to do."

“Sometimes you have to tell him not to sprint! Maybe even in races that don't suit him at all, he'll want to win more.”