In Sondrio, Tadej Pogacar was literally overwhelmed by the affection of the public. Yesterday afternoon in Piazza Garibaldi, many were waiting for him—children and adults alike, some seeking an autograph, others simply wanting to see the world champion. The euphoria was palpable in a Valtellina region that for the first time in its history is hosting the grand start of the Tour de Suisse, so much so that there was a real competition to have him taste the pizzoccheri and get his opinion.

The world champion returns to racing after almost two months away from the spotlight; the last time was also in Switzerland at the Tour of Romandie, where the Slovenian won not only the general classification but also 4 out of 5 stages. While his rival Vingegaard was taking the Giro, Pogacar was training at altitude with his sights set on the Tour. "Over the last two months I've been in a training camp with the team, we've done a good amount of work, every day we did different activities and I believe we trained really well. In racing, however, everything is different—that's where you really understand how your legs are performing, and I think a race like the Tour de Suisse is fundamental. I'm here first and foremost to test myself; my next major objective is the Tour de France and I need to understand if I'm ready to face it or if I need another altitude training block. We'll make all the assessments at the end of the week," Pogacar explained.

The Tour de Suisse will be a crucial test for the Slovenian, especially with the Grand Boucle in mind, but the Swiss race is still missing from Pogacar's palmares, something he's certainly thinking about. "It's a difficult race to interpret—there are only 5 days of racing compared to the 8 or 9 I'm used to, so you have to give everything in each stage. There isn't a major mountain stage, but apart from the time trial, they're all kind of classics where anything can happen. It doesn't really favor climbers, but I believe it's the ideal terrain to test myself at 100%. A victory? As always, I'll try to do my best," Pogacar explains, analyzing the course for these days of racing.

Needless to say, the world champion is already expected today in Sondrio, the opening Italian stage, a route entirely in Valtellina that, according to him, reminds him very much of Slovenia. Mathieu Van Der Poel, also returning to racing after a long training block, has named Pogacar as the sole favorite, saying that with him at the start, the others will only get crumbs. As always, the road will speak for itself, but the challenge ahead looks truly interesting.