Tadej Pogacar has driven the cycling competition into the ground this season. A competitor of the Slovenian is amazed at his skills, but does not believe that the dominance is good for the sport. He says: When the superstar is at the start, the race is actually already over.
The Norwegian professional cyclist Johannes Kulset, like many of his competitors, has an insurmountable problem: Tadej Pogacar. The Slovenian has proven himself to be almost unbeatable this year and, with a few exceptions, has won every race he took part in.
“When he starts, you know that it won’t be a race. It’s just about survival,” said the rider from the Uno-X Mobility team on “Domestique Cycling”, describing how it feels to be at the start together with the Slovenian.
Pogacar dominance not good for cycling
Kulset doesn’t necessarily see the fact that the superstar is so dominant as a positive thing. “Honestly: I don’t think it’s good for cycling that Pogacar is so much better than everyone else. It’s not his fault. He’s just that good,” said the Norwegian.
On the other hand, it is also positive that cycling has a “real superstar”. “He and [Mathieu] van der Poel are big names beyond cycling. That brings attention and fans. You see it in races like the Tour of Flanders and the Tour of Lombardy. The crowds around the UAE and Alpecin bus are incredible,” Kulset reported.
Nevertheless, a certain degree of predictability is not good for sport. “It’s bad when interest wanes because people assume that Pogacar will win anyway. When he’s on the starting line, you don’t believe in victory.”
In every other race there is always a chance, but not in the one in which the man with the rainbow jersey competes, the Norwegian raised the white flag.