"A new Pogacar is coming" - Pello Bilbao sees Paul Seixas as 'the enemy' of the World Champion

The experienced Basque rider Pello Bilbao has decided to call time on his professional career at the end of the season, stepping away from the peloton on his own terms and prioritizing family over top-level competition. He has talked about the extensive demands of being a pro cyclist; and also the likes of Tadej Pogacar and Paul Seixas.

At 36, and after 10 seasons in the WorldTour, the Gernika native will hang up his bike this December. Bahrain Victorious’s stage hunter is putting mental health and time with his inner circle ahead of the 'dictatorship of data'.

“I’m retiring because I think the moment has come; everyone has to set their own limit. Fortunately, I’ve been able to choose my timing. Clearly, the main reason is my family: my wife and my children,” he said in an interview with Cadena Ser.

That composure has helped him navigate the toughest moments of a demanding profession, shaping a highly analytical mindset in the face of adversity. “I’m known for keeping calm; maybe it’s the Basque way. Level-headed and cool-blooded,” he says.

This mentality has been his shield since his beginnings at Euskaltel, where he suffered his worst crash on the road. “My biggest fall was when I turned pro with Euskaltel, the only time in my career I broke a bone: my elbow,” recalls the climber, who sees crashes as valuable lessons in survival.

“We learn from crashes. In the end, after each one, we start to step back to understand our limits. Some crashes don’t hurt physically but they do hurt mentally.”

This introspection fits perfectly with his view of how professional cycling has transformed. The long tactical days where energy saving was key to victory are now a distant memory.

“Back then it was a sport of endurance and conserving energy, whereas today it’s a constant show of force: you start flat out and finish flat out,” the rider explains.

“I’d say the change in speed has been immense. We’ve gone up by between 3 and 4 km/h since I started,” he adds. This continuous acceleration exacts a steep toll on the peloton, echoing the views of greats like Alejandro Valverde on the brutality of today’s racing.

“It’s exhausting. I can see riders’ careers getting shorter. This pace isn’t sustainable if you want a career like Valverde’s and to retire at 40,” he states.

Modern cycling also imposes fierce psychological pressure tied to minute-by-minute monitoring of performance and calorie intake, a side Bilbao has handled with notable maturity to protect himself.

“At times I’ve felt stressed by the tyranny of data, but I haven’t let myself get carried away. As soon as I noticed it, I acted quickly. I don’t wear a sleep ring and I don’t weigh my food when I’m at home,” he reveals, drawing a firm line between work and home life.

Even so, he fully embraces his role as a veteran leader when in camp with his team. “In the group, yes — you have to set an example for the youngsters who live by that discipline. For them, it’s more normal,” he notes. Personally, the obsession with numbers has faded with the seasons.

“I pay less and less attention to the numbers. As you get older, those numbers repeat and eventually plateau. They stop making sense for a more veteran rider,” he says. For the Basque rider, success rests on emotional clarity, and he warns of the danger of turning athletes into machines.

When a rider wins in a Grand Tour like the Tour de France “you live through madness and just let yourself go.” He has done so in 2023, one of the highlights of his long career in the peloton.

With 17 pro wins, Bilbao is an example in consistency, having been near the top for many years. He's won 17 pro races including also two stages at the Giro d'Italia, and adapted well to the modern way of preparing and racing. He has recently finished sixth at both Itzulia Basque Country and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

“The best part is getting to the hotel, feeling the hugs and congratulations, going person by person with everyone on the team who want to celebrate it,” he says. The frenzy lasts until dinner, when “you raise a toast, but then you head to bed early.”

“We can’t forget about mental health. Everyone should set boundaries. We can’t live in continuous stress. A key part of high performance is also finding balance without becoming obsessed with data,” he argues.

Scientific progress has also revolutionised in-race nutrition, banishing old bonks but turning fuelling into relentless work. “Another key point is the advances in nutrition. We now eat much more during races. We used to think the limit was much lower than it is. You don’t see hunger knocks anymore because we fuel better,” he analyses, openly admitting the boredom this constant intake can bring.

“Sometimes you get tired of eating. You feel you have to take in a lot of food: pasta, risotto, whatever it takes to fill the tank,” he adds. Thankfully, that strict maths stays outside his family life, he jokes, admitting that “on Christmas Eve nobody weighs carbs — and not in day-to-day life either.”

Looking ahead to the peloton he will soon leave, Bilbao points to the promising Paul Seixas as the rider who could shake up the hierarchy. “I raced Seixas in the Basque Country and at Flèche Wallonne — a new Pogacar is coming,” he predicts with admiration.

“It’s good to see someone who can take on Tadej. If he keeps that logical progression, I think he’ll be a rival to him and open up competitiveness in the peloton,” he concludes, closing a brilliant spell at the top.