ANALYSIS: How did Slovenia become cycling’s number 1 nation?

Slovenia’s rise to the top of professional cycling has been one of the key stories in the world of professional cycling over the past 5 years. In a country with a population of just over two million, Slovenia now boasts two of the greatest riders of their generation: Tadej Pogacar and Primoz Roglic.

Their accomplishments have propelled Slovenia into the spotlight as the world’s number one cycling nation, a title solidified by Pogacar’s victory at the 2024 UCI World Championships in Zurich last month. It was a victory that crowned an already historic season for Pogacar, and placed Slovenia firmly at the pinnacle of the sport.

The 2024 season has been one for the record books, not just for Pogacar but for cycling itself. His victory in the World Championships road race, securing the coveted rainbow jersey, is just the latest in a string of monumental achievements this year. Pogacar’s 2024 season is being hailed as one of the greatest in cycling history, comparable only to the legendary feats of Eddy Merckx and Stephen Roche. Like them, Pogacar won the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France, and the World Championships in the same year, the triple crown.

Pogacar’s palmarès for 2024 is the stuff of cycling legend: two Grand Tour victories (the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France), six stage wins in both races, victories in two monuments (Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Il Lombardia), a win at Strade Bianche, and now the World Championships title. It’s a season that will be remembered as perhaps the most dominant single-year performance in cycling history.

While Pogacar’s list of accomplishments is already unparalleled, there is one Grand Tour missing from his collection in 2024: the Vuelta a España. However, the man who won that race is none other than guess who, his compatriot Primoz Roglic. Roglic, now 34 years old and riding for Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe, claimed his fourth Vuelta title in September. It was Roglic’s first Grand Tour win since his switch to the new team and further cemented his status as a legend in Slovenian cycling.

Between them, Pogacar and Roglic have won a combined nine Grand Tours, an incredible feat for any nation, let alone a small country like Slovenia. But how did this meteoric rise come about? What has allowed Slovenia to produce not just one but two of the greatest cyclists of this generation?

To understand Slovenia’s monumental rise, it’s important to first consider the country’s sporting culture. Slovenia has always been a nation that values physical activity and outdoor pursuits, shaped in part by its geographical landscape. Nestled between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea, Slovenia offers diverse terrain, from mountainous regions perfect for skiing and hiking to rolling hills and flatlands ideal for cycling.

Historically, Slovenia has excelled in winter sports, producing world-class athletes in alpine skiing and ski jumping. Roglic’s background in ski jumping has been widely discussed as one of the factors that helped him become such a powerful cyclist, particularly in time trials and mountain stages.

Pogacar, on the other hand, represents a new generation of Slovenian athletes who have grown up in a country where cycling is becoming increasingly popular. His hometown of Komenda even now hosts the "Pogi Cup," a local race for young cyclists aged 8 to 19. Grassroots development systems such as this will be crucial in continuing Slovenia’s cycling success, helping to identify and nurture young talent from an early age.

Slovenian cyclist Luka Mezgec highlighted this shift in a recent interview with Wieler Revue. “It’s the perfect showcase for Slovenian cycling. I believe our country will continue to be a cycling powerhouse in the future. Slovenia is generally a healthy country where exercise is ingrained from a young age. At my primary school, everyone participated in at least one sport. It’s part of our culture, with Pogacar and Roglic being our prime examples.”

Slovenia’s cycling revolution isn’t just about the athletes, it’s about a culture that embraces physical activity, a geography that lends itself to endurance sports, and a grassroots system that supports the development of young riders. But while the infrastructure has helped create the conditions for success, it’s the physiological gifts and mental toughness of Pogacar and Roglic that have truly elevated Slovenian cycling to the next level.

One of the most commonly discussed aspects of Pogacar and Roglic’s success is their remarkable physiological capacity. Tadej Pogacar’s VO2 max is reported to be 89.4, according to Rouleur. This places him among the highest VO2 max figures ever recorded, demonstrating his incredible endurance and efficiency. Similarly, Roglic’s VO2 max is reportedly above 80, an elite level that makes him one of the strongest riders in the peloton.

While VO2 max alone doesn’t determine success in cycling, it’s a strong indicator of the physiological advantages these riders have over their competitors. In combination with their tactical intelligence and mental fortitude, it’s no surprise that Pogacar and Roglic have dominated the sport in recent years.

Roglic’s mental toughness, in particular, has been tested on more than one occasion. The most famous example, of course, is the 2020 Tour de France, where Roglic was on the verge of becoming Slovenia’s first Tour de France winner, only to be dramatically overtaken by Pogacar on the final competitive day. That moment, where Pogacar’s time-trial brilliance earned him the yellow jersey, is one of the most iconic in cycling history, but it also highlighted the intense rivalry between the two Slovenian superstars.

Despite Pogacar’s incredible achievements, Roglic remains the most beloved cyclist in Slovenia. As Sporza reported ahead of the 2024 World Championships, many fans in Slovenia still hold Roglic in higher esteem than Pogacar, largely due to the dramatic events of the 2020 Tour. Roglic was seen as the nation’s first legitimate Grand Tour contender, and for a small section of fans, the heartbreak of losing to Pogacar in such dramatic fashion has left a lasting impact.

According to Marjeta Pogacar, Tadej’s mother, that rivalry has led to some negative reactions from a small portion of Slovenian fans. “After the 2020 Tour, Tadej received a lot of negative reactions. Personal messages and such. He had supposedly betrayed Roglic,” she told Sporza. “We are talking about a minority here, really, but it still affects him. In Slovenia, there is a kind of shadow hanging over Tadej. As if he had been beaten to the checkout.”

However, it’s important to emphasize that these negative reactions come from only a tiny fraction of the population. For the vast majority of Slovenians, both Pogacar and Roglic are national heroes, and their accomplishments are a source of immense pride. The rivalry between the two may have created some tension, but it has also pushed them to new heights and contributed to the overall success of Slovenian cycling.

The 2020 Tour de France marked a turning point for Slovenian cycling, not just because of Pogacar’s dramatic victory but also because of what it represented for the nation as a whole. It was the first time that two Slovenian riders had competed for the sport’s most prestigious prize, and it was a moment that captured the imagination of the entire country.

For Roglic, the defeat was crushing, but his ability to bounce back from that disappointment speaks to his resilience and character. Since that loss, Roglic has gone on to win multiple Grand Tours, including his fourth Vuelta title in 2024. His comeback has only added to his legend, making him a beloved figure not just in Slovenia but around the world.

Pogacar, meanwhile, used that 2020 victory as a springboard for his own dominance. In the years since, he has added two more Tour de France titles, the Giro, multiple monuments, and now the World Championship to his résumé. His rivalry with Roglic may have cooled in recent years due to Roglic’s injuries, but the impact of their 2020 Tour duel continues to reverberate through the sport.

Looking ahead, Slovenia’s future in cycling looks incredibly bright. With a strong grassroots system, a culture that embraces sport, and two of the greatest riders of all time, Slovenia is well-positioned to remain a cycling powerhouse for years to come. The success of Pogacar and Roglic has inspired a new generation of cyclists, and grassroots events like the Pogi Cup are ensuring that the next wave of Slovenian talent is already on the way.

As Luka Mezgec noted, the change in attitude toward cyclists in Slovenia has been profound. “When I first started cycling, drivers would flip me off, but now they give me a thumbs up,” he laughed. This cultural shift reflects the broader transformation of Slovenia into a cycling nation, where the sport is now celebrated and respected.

Pogacar and Roglic may be the faces of this transformation, but they are not the only factors driving Slovenia’s success. The country’s geography, culture, and investment in youth development have all played a crucial role in shaping its rise to the top. With Pogacar and Roglic leading the way, Slovenia has firmly established itself as cycling’s number one nation, and its dominance shows no signs of slowing down.