It has been 47 days since Tadej’s victory at the 112th Tour de France, and it’s time for him to test his legs again. Today, he will compete in the Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec, and on Sunday, in the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal. With the Canadian WorldTour tests, the final part of the season will begin for him. He plans six races, the most important being the World Championship in Rwanda, where he will chase the rainbow jersey both in the time trial (September 21) and the road race (September 28).
Thus, Quebec and Montreal will also serve as rehearsals for him before heading to the first African cycling world championship in history. »I feel good. I’m quite happy with how my summer went. The end of the season always has its ups and downs, but I’m happy to be here,« Tadej said at a press conference before the Quebec GP.
He was also asked what he did after July 27, when he celebrated his fourth Tour de France victory in the yellow jersey on the Champs-Élysées. »After the Tour, I took a break, followed Urška in her races, and did some good training at home. I couldn’t squeeze another big preparation block at altitude into the summer. But here I am, happy to test my legs,« Tadej replied.
He confirmed that the fatigue he felt at the end of the Tour is a thing of the past, and with that hinted that the media and the public were too focused on his well-being. »Of course, you’re tired after three weeks of racing at the highest level. That’s completely normal. I don’t understand why they made such a big deal about it. Simply because I said I was tired after the stage at La Plagne. Even after a one-day race, you’re tired, let alone after 21 days of racing,« said Tadej.
This year, in 43 competitive days, he celebrated 16 victories, and his team UAE Team Emirates – XRG has already reached 83 victories in 2025. They have already surpassed last year’s tally of 81 wins and are on track to break the record of the Columbia HTC team, which collected 85 wins in 2009.
»We’re here with a strong team, and I’ll be happy if I can help us win. In any way. I’m definitely going for it, but for me, it wouldn’t be a disaster if I didn’t win. I want to peak for the World Championships. That’s the main goal for this final stretch of the season. I also want to use these races as good training and hope I’ll be ready,« added Tadej.
Today, he faces a 216-kilometer circuit challenge in Quebec with 2,610 meters of elevation, where he will be chasing his first victory (he finished 7th last year), but Montreal has suited him better so far. On Sunday he will be chasing his third victory on a 209.1-kilometer course with 4,573 meters of elevation. He has already been the best here in 2022 and 2024. In Canada the UAE Team Emirates – XRG lineup is exceptionally strong, it includes Brandon McNulty, Jhonatan Narvaez, Nils Politt, Pavel Sivakov, Tim Wellens, and Adam Yates.