Project how to defeat Tadej Pogacar: what is known about the course of the 2025 Tour de FranceProject how to defeat Tadej Pogacar: what is known about the course of the 2025 Tour de France…Read more

Defeating Tadej Pogačar at the 2025 Tour de France will require strategic precision, especially as early indications of the route suggest a course tailored to challenge even the best climbers and all-rounders. As one of the sport’s most explosive and versatile riders, Pogačar is known for excelling in both mountains and time trials, making him a difficult rival. To stand a chance, competitors will need a well-coordinated team, an adaptable strategy, and a keen understanding of the course’s nuances.

The 2025 Tour de France is expected to feature a combination of grueling mountain stages, technical time trials, and punishing mid-range climbs. With iconic summits like Mont Ventoux and potentially the Col du Tourmalet, the course could favor climbers capable of sustaining high output on back-to-back mountain days. Pogačar thrives in this terrain, so rival teams will need to plan attacks on his weaknesses—namely, his tendency to respond immediately to challenges, which can wear him down if he’s forced into repeated defenses.

Time trials will likely play a crucial role, and with Pogačar’s skills against the clock, contenders must aim to gain time where they can. Targeting technical or slightly flatter time trial stages can help certain all-rounders or TT specialists gain critical seconds, creating gaps that could prove decisive in later stages. Ensuring that these time trials are ridden at near-maximum effort will make it tougher for Pogačar to recover, especially if they follow difficult mountain days.

The role of teammates is paramount. Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel, two of Pogačar’s closest competitors, will need teams able to control the pace and execute well-timed attacks. Deploying teammates strategically to tire out Pogačar on challenging climbs can increase the likelihood of success.

Targeting Pogačar’s rare moments of vulnerability—such as consecutive high-altitude finishes or intense stretches of varied climbs—will require consistent pressure. By combining multiple strategies—well-timed attacks, team support, and time trial gains—riders may stand a chance to outlast Pogačar in 2025. Only a comprehensive approach, with all aspects of racecraft aligned, could topple the Slovenian star in the next Tour de France.