ANALYSIS: How can Tadej Pogacar possibly improve upon his 2024 season in 2025?

Tadej Pogacar's 2024 season has already been cemented in the history books. Even before it was over, many experts were already calling it one of the best of all time. As a result, comparisons with Eddy Merckx's 1972 started and the debate was opened as to whether the Slovenian is not already the greatest cyclist of all time. Can he improve even further in 2025?

Although it seems almost impossible, the UAE Team Emirates superstar can achieve even better results in 2025 as analysed by colleagues from our Spanish language sister channel Ciclismoaldia. Simply matching what he has achieved this year would already be completely legendary and would give him even more weight. Below, let's take a look back at what Tadej has achieved in this honour filled 2024.

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He started the season in March, storming to Strade Bianche success with an 81-kilometre solo breakaway. He followed that up with a third-place finish at Milano-Sanremo, a race in which he has admitted to being practically obsessed with. He then swept the Volta a Catalunya with the final general classification and 4 stages, almost 5.

In April, he only raced the Liège-Bastogne-Liège, as a final preparation for the Giro d'Italia. There, he took 1:39 on Romain Bardet, the second-placed rider. He went to the first Grand Tour of the year, in which he was making his debut, and didn't leave even the crumbs. 6 stage victories and a historic difference in the general classification, taking no less than 9:56 to the runner-up, the Colombian Daniel Martinez.

Pogacar dominated at the Giro d'Italia in 2024

We didn't see him in action again until the Tour de France, where he repeated his domination. He added 6 more stage wins and the yellow jersey, with a margin of 6:17 over Jonas Vingegaard, who arrived with a reduced preparation due to his terrible crash in the Itzulia. Pogacar then skipped the Paris 2024 Olympics as a sort of protest against the Slovenian Cycling Federation for not taking his partner Urska Zigart.

He reappeared in the Canadian classics. He was 7th in the GP de Québec, before completely dominating the GP de Montréal. These races helped him to get in shape for the Worlds in Zurich, where he performed arguably the greatest achievement in cycling in living memory. He attacked more than 100 kilometres from the finish line and left behind every rider he caught, to end up taking the rainbow at the end.

He finished the season in Italy, as usual. He won for the first time in the Giro dell'Emilia, with another recital in which he put a 1:54 gap on Tom Pidcock, who crossed the finish line in second place. The Tre Valli Varesine was suspended in the middle of the race and at Il Lombardia he dominated yet again, leaving Remco Evenepoel behind by 3 minutes and 16 seconds.

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How can Pogacar improve in 2025?

As we have already mentioned, it seems very complicated for Pogacar to improve on what he has done in 2024. However, with this man you never know and we can't say it's impossible. In an interview for the Slovenian media 'Nedelo', the 26-year-old gave hints about what will be his calendar in 2025. "Next year I will return to the Tour de France, but before that also to the UAE Tour, which I haven't attended for two years. I'll probably compete again in the Tour of Flanders, which I missed this year, but I'm also thinking about competing in La Vuelta," he explained. "A big part of me is growing, including my mental state, I have more experience. A lot of things have contributed to improving my form, including a different approach to training when I'm not on the bike. That's why I felt more comfortable this year, I was a happier rider. I don't think next season will be the one to go to Paris-Roubaix, but this race is slowly creeping into my subconscious."

Obviously, he will not only race the UAE Tour, the Tour of Flanders, the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España. It seems difficult to think that he will not try to defend his title in two other monuments such as Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Il Lombardia and continue adding successes in races of this category. He is also likely to go to the World Championship, with a course that suits his characteristics even more than the one in Zurich.

Pogacar took the first Rainbow Jersey of his career in Zürich

Finally, we'll see which top classics he opts for. In 2024, he's focused on the Strade Bianche, the Canadian and the Italian autumn classics to finish his season. As for the one-week stage races, we know he may intend to win them all in his career. He still has the Itzulia, the Tour de Romandie, the Critérium du Dauphiné and the Tour of Switzerland to go. Some of these could add up.

To repeat the same level in 2025, he will need to win the two grand tours he does, two monuments, the Worlds and several top classics, plus a one-week race. It remains to be seen if he is able to match or better this year's 25 total wins. Considering that he could add San Remo or Flanders and that he will be the favourite at the start of each race, maybe it's not so impossible to beat him.

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Lukáš Ronald Lukács

@lucasaganronald

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Tadej Pogačar and his UAE teammates on a night ride during their teambuilding in UAE. 🎥: Gustavo Stein

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