Some saw Pogacar’s 2020 victory as a fluke, something that jumped out of a mixed up time in the world. Determined to prove everyone wrong he went head-to-head with Primoz Roglic in the 2021 Tour, although Roglic suffered two crashes in the opening week.

The resulting injuries ultimately ended his race, leaving Pogacar with no main rival for the title – or so it seemed.

As Pogacar stamped his authority on the Tour so Jumbo-Visma switched their leadership attention to the mild mannered young Dane Jonas Vingegaard, a man known to lack self belief, and yet a rider who would run Pogacar a close second overall.

Cycling has come a long way in financial terms in recent years, with the top tier or riders now earning comparatively good salaries, although the lower ranks do still struggle, and there has long been some fragility in the model of sponsorship in pro cycling.

However, with the apparent brilliance and potential longevity of career shown by Pogacar, aided by the healthy financial backing from the UAE.

Following his 2021 Tour victory the team took the unprecedented step of contracting him until the end of 2027, for an undisclosed sum that is believed to be around €36 million (US$37.6) all in, a first for pro cycling.

It’s an investment that the team sees as a shrewd move. “It helps a great amount, Tadej is the centrepiece of our team but it takes a big team around him to make everything happen and to have support from sponsors is obviously crucial,” a team media spokesman told the Post.

The man himself is also happy with the security the contract offers. “Yes, I am very happy in this team. We have lived many great moments together and I hope for many more.”

The contract also allows him to look further ahead, and to have goals beyond the Tour.

“I would love to race the Giro (d’Italia) some day soon and I would also like to go back and aim for a strong ride at the Vuelta (a’ Espana).”

Slovenia is a country of just 2.1 million people, and cycling had always been small fry there, although things were changing even before Pogacar came along.

The man he unseated in the penultimate day’s uphill time trial to take the 2020 Tour crown was another Slovenian; (now) 32-year old Roglic of the Dutch based Team Jumbo-Visma, a former world-class ski jumper turned cyclist who virtually taught himself to race, and who later became the world’s No 1-ranked rider as well as the number one rival to Pogacar in the Tour.

The dominance and often flamboyantly aggressive style of the old master and the young upstart has been a breath of fresh air for pro cycling. Their success has also taken cycling in Slovenia to a whole new level.

“It’s changed a lot since I was a kid,” Pogacar said after dominating the recent Tour of Slovenia, his final build-up race to the Tour.

“Before, in Slovenia people only knew about the Tour de France, today we can say that cycling has probably become the number one sport.”

This time around Pogacar is odds-on favourite, and now has a much stronger support team around him. His main rivals on the road will be the Roglic-Vingegaard combo, who could prove problematic not only for Pogacar but for Jumbo-Visma if it comes to any crucial leadership strife, although it would be fair to assume that Roglic holds the upper hand.

Needless to say it’s not a three horse race, and it only takes one accident or a bad day in the mountains to change the whole outcome of the race, which is sometimes decided by just a handful of seconds.

Perhaps the opportunistic dice this year will be Covid-19. In recent weeks a surge in cases all but floored the Tour de Suisse. Hopefully the 2022 Tour will be decided on the road and not in a lab.