Cycling - Tour de France - Stage 20 - Lacapelle-Marival to Rocamadour - France - July 23, 2022 UAE Team Emirates' Tadej Pogacar celebrates on the podium wearing the white jersey after stage 20 REUTERS/Christian Hartmann/Files
(Reuters) - Tour de France runner-up Tadej Pogacar said his victory at the GP de Montreal on Sunday has left him "happy and confident" in the build-up to the UCI Road World Championships in Australia.
Slovenia's Pogacar, who narrowly missed out on a third successive Tour de France title this year, held off Belgian Wout van Aert to claim the win in Montreal.
"It was perfect in the end, it was difficult because we know that Wout is one of the best sprinters in the world but this is a tough finish and I believed in myself and I gave it everything and I succeeded. It's incredible," the UAE Team Emirates rider said.
"After the Tour I was not in good shape, I was relaxing and building up to this final part and today was a super good day so I'm really happy and confident to go to the World Championships.
"With the national team, it is always a bit trickier but I’m confident I'm in good shape."
The World Championships take place from Sept. 17 to 25 around Wollongong, a coastal city 80km south of Sydney.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
