Jan Hirt, who finished 6th in the Giro d’Italia this year and won the royal stage there, confirmed to us that he could not yet announce the name of the new team. They have to keep it a secret and it will be the team that announces everything. We talked while he was training. He put the receiver in his ear and gladly responded by pedaling.

Now I have 80 km and I will have 120 km, it is a normal standard. But it is different from the Czech Republic, because there are no plains in Andorra. In the Czech Republic, you drive on average at 30 km/h, here it is 25 km/h. You are also hampered by the altitude.

How do you rate the Tour so far?

He has a very interesting career, for the first time I saw Pogačar in crisis. He is also only human after all. He will have an extremely difficult race to turn around and win. He has a few chances, but Denmark’s Vingaard should probably ‘break’ that. If Pogačar does not start on the heights until the end of the stage, he will not lose nearly 2.5 minutes. He has to try something first. But there aren’t many steps anymore. The Dane will be comfortable on his hook and cling to him like a tick. In the time trial, the Slovenian can get something on him, but not as much as he needs. About 1.5 minutes must be earned somewhere outside of the time trial.

Can Vingegaard miss the fact that he lost the support of teammates Kruijswijk and Roglic, who left the Tour due to injury?

It can certainly affect the situation. If the Dane has lost contact with Pogačar somewhere in the plain between the hills, he will have a problem if he has no pusher. He could lose a lot, but it has to happen before the last hill.

Do you think there is anyone else in the game? Ineos and Geraint Thomas?

I don’t think Thomas will go for the win because Pogačar and Vingaard are very good against the clock. If Thomas gets anything on them in the time trial, it won’t be much. He can be happy when he finishes third overall. That’s the most he can drive. I don’t think he has any surprises in store.

You don’t regret not having done the Tour?

No way. I take advantage of the summer and it’s always true that I prefer the Giro d’Italia.

Wouldn’t you like to do the Tour again with a new team?

Maybe once more, maybe even several times. I think I’ll check it out, but it won’t be my favorite race.

The races go very fast now, you experienced it yourself at the Giro, now it continues at the Tour. Why is it?

It’s just a different style of running. You drive harder all day. It starts in the breakaways, which are fast from the start, there are strong cyclists who know how to do it. And so the peloton chasing them next has to go faster. Riders are stronger, we see them all riding higher watts. Their performance is superior. He trains better now, regenerates better. And when someone is good, others follow him and shoot behind him.

What about the heat? How do they survive, do you have any tips?

I like the heat, it doesn’t bother me and I don’t even have to put ice on my neck. For me, it’s much better when it’s warm than when it’s raining and cold. I don’t have to worry about the sleeves, I take shorts, a jersey and go.

How are you preparing for the Vuelta? It’s coming, it starts in a month…

I’m training even if I’m not as well prepared as before the Giro. But I will try. I am at home in Andorra at a higher altitude too, around 1800m, which helps. But before the Giro I was still 700 meters higher in Colombia.

Do they have to reach these heights today before the three-week “internship”?

Almost everyone does. Only a few people don’t, the old school who never did. But the vast majority do. Here in Andorra, the women who do the World Tour and the juniors are already training around me.

Are you really not going to try the Vuelta for the classification?

90% of the time no, only if it accidentally spread then yes. But I won’t be on it like I was around the Giro.

Will you be with another strong team climber, Italo Pozzoviva, at the Vuelta?

I don’t know yet who it will go to. My task will be to escape, to try to win the stage. But maybe they won’t even take me to Spain. You never know for sure.

And how are you looking forward to your new workplace?

I can’t wait, of course, but it’s still a long way off, I have other tasks now. I hope to go to the World Championships after the Vuelta and afterwards there will be “one-offs”.

Do you want to stay in Andorra?

Of course, I like it here, change is not on the agenda. Maybe only Colombia would be better at something, but there it is complicated with the logistics.