“A trainer of Tadej can only ruin things, for example if they become obsessed with seeing certain power numbers”: Former UAE rider explains Pogacar’s transformation under coach Javier Sola

Tadej Pogacar has arguably reached an even higher level in 2026, dominating the sport with a consistency rarely seen in modern cycling. While improvements in equipment and team performance have played a role, former UAE Team Emirates rider Sjoerd Bax believes one of the key factors behind the Slovenian’s rise has been his switch to coach Javier Sola. According to Bax, the Spaniard did not reinvent Pogacar but instead helped maximise the abilities of a rider who was already among the very best in the world.

Although Pogacar won the Tour de France in 2020 and 2021, his defeats to Jonas Vingegaard in 2022 and 2023 highlighted areas where improvements could still be made. Current Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team rider Bax, who rode alongside Pogacar at UAE Team Emirates in 2023 and 2024, pointed to several changes that helped the team close the gap.

“From 2022 to 2023, a big step was made in areas such as equipment,” Bax explained in an interview to Wieler Revue. “The next step was Pogacar’s coaching change in 2024. Javier Sola became his coach. He was also my coach.”

Sola previously worked with Team Visma | Lease a Bike before joining UAE Team Emirates and has since overseen the most dominant period of Pogacar’s career.

Despite the Slovenian’s remarkable results, Bax does not view Sola as a miracle worker. “Javier is not a wizard or anything,” he said. “I think that with riders at that level, the most important thing is not making mistakes. A coach of Tadej can only ruin things, for example if they become obsessed with seeing certain power numbers.”

According to Bax, the biggest adjustment involved increasing the intensity of work that Pogacar was already capable of handling. “With Sola, he started training like many other professionals, but then two levels harder because he can handle more workload,” Bax explained.

He contrasted that approach with the methods used under former coach Iñigo San Millán. “Before, under Iñigo San Millán, he did less explosive work. It was probably not the right approach for him.”