Cycling superstar Tadej Pogacar dominated at will last season. His start to the new year was extremely promising. His boss even thinks that the Slovenian has gotten better. The competition for Tour-de France challengers Jonas Vingegaard has to dress warmly.
How good is Tadej Pogacar really? Fans and opponents still cannot really assess the services of the Tour-de France winner of 2024 to be achieved this season.
His sports director at Team UAE now showed that Pogacar could possibly be even stronger at the highlight of the season in July at the Tour de France compared to the previous year. His current performance data is “a little better” than in March 2024, said Matxin Fernandez in an interview with cycling insider Daniel Benson.
Pogacar “improved” his numbers, which basically happens every year, pushed Fernandez behind.
Another demonstration of power in Italy?
At the home race of his employer in the United Arab Emirates, Tadej Pogacar celebrated two stage wins in mid-February and won the overall ranking, the 26-year-old did not have to go to his limits. Now the Slovenian in Italy at the Strade Bianche wants to win his third win in series in order to then devote himself to Milan-Sanremo and the classics in Belgium.
The big goal: the title defense in July at the Tour de France. “Tadej starts every race to win it. This mentality has made him the best driver in the world,” said Fernandez, who also revealed an anecdote from last year’s race at the Strade Bianche.
His team had actually planned that Pogacar will start an attack around 51 kilometers before the end on the stage on Monte Santa Maria to get rid of his pursuers. In the race, however, the cycling star spontaneously decided and stepped into the pedals 30 kilometers earlier – a demonstration of power, said Fernandez.