Pogacar relieved Urska will not take his car up Alpe d’Huez as ‘insane’ crowds await
Tadej Pogacar is expecting such chaos on Alpe d’Huez that he is relieved his partner Urska Zigart will not be driving his car up the mountain like in 2022.
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The Tour de France leader laughed as he recalled his previous visit, when supporters surrounded the team vehicles, touching them and rocking them as they passed through the crowds.
“I’m kind of happy Urška [Žigart] is not coming up with my car, like last time in 2022,” Pogačar said at the press conference. “I remember how dirty the car was because all the people were touching it and shaking it.”
“So I’m kind of glad I don’t have my personal car up there, because I think it’s going to be crazy.”
Pogačar made the comments after being asked what kind of reception he expected on Alpe d’Huez, where Slovenian supporters had already begun gathering before the race arrived.
“Crazy,” he said, before predicting “insane” scenes over the Tour’s final weekend.
Even for a rider accustomed to the vast crowds lining the roads of the Tour, the turnout at Le Markstein on Stage 14 had left a lasting impression.
“I’ve never seen crowds like this,” Pogačar said.
He believes Alpe d’Huez could attract an even greater turnout, with two of the race’s hardest stages finishing there on consecutive days.
“I think Alpe d’Huez can even overdo it,” he said. “It can be even more.”
Pogačar welcomed the prospect of another huge roadside reception, but also acknowledged the risks created when supporters leave riders and race vehicles with little room to pass.
“It’s going to be fantastic,” he said. “I hope nothing goes wrong.”
Alpe d’Huez has long been one of the Tour’s most evocative climbs. This year, the peloton will tackle the mountain twice on consecutive days, first via the traditional ascent and its famous 21 hairpins on Stage 19.
Stage 20, widely regarded as the queen stage of the 2026 Tour, will approach the ski resort from the Col de Sarenne side after a gruelling day in the Alps. The Sarenne road was recently affected by mudslides, although no further disruption has since been reported.
For Pogačar, the two days on Alpe d’Huez promise a fitting finale to the race.
“It’s going to be a great end of the Tour,” he said.
And this time, at least, his car should be safe.
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