Unlike regular humans, December is a very busy period for professional cyclists. While fans are shivering in cold and would rather not even go outside, our heroes train in the cold to arrive to the season in their very best shape. That's no different for Tadej Pogacar who is currently on a training camp in Spain with his UAE Team Emirates - XRG teammates and this afternoon, he set a new record on the mythical Coll de Rates.
On Friday, the Slovenian clocked a 220-kilometer training ride in the Costa Blanca. Accompanied by riders like Nils Politt, Pavel Sivakov, new American teammate Kevin Vermaerke and several others. Pogacar travelled at an average speed of nearly 37 kilometers per hour, taking just a touch above 6 hours to complete his session. But none of that was the impressive aspect of Pogacar's ride.
The Coll de Rates is a famous training climb near Calpe where amateur cyclists can compare themselves to pros. And at the top of the ranking stands Tadej Pogacar. At the end of 2024, he took the crown with a time of 12:21, beating INEOS talent Peter Oxenberg's time by 17 seconds.
Eye-watering speed
But that wasn't enough for the Slovenian who returned to the 6.4-kilometer climb at 5.5% and pushed the new record under 12 minutes with a staggering time of 11:57, flying through the segment at 32.2 kph. It's a clear message to his challengers, mainly Jonas Vingegaard, that they won't have an easy time beating Pogacar again in 2026.
Most likely this was done with the aid of some of his teammates, as has been done before, but it certainly makes it no less impressive. The World Champion has recently talked about his schedule and goals for the upcoming season during his training camp in Benidorm, as did many of his teammates including Isaac del Toro and João Almeida.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- Seixas appears to be that good but if he isn't (an absolute rival to Pogacar) he would have plenty of company in rising stars that did not go on to fully meet the expectations of many. That Pogacar wasn't the greatest (as great) sooner can't be transposed onto another's development. It may be not that simple.flyer14-11-2026
- I agree that, for Evenepoel, the Euro championship is overshadowed by the slightly off Lombardia and Worlds. However, I disagree that "Ciccone also made a serious mistake at the European Championships" because I don't think he had a win in the bag although he could have won with a perfect bike throw. Guesswork about the finish is not evidence by me for some serious mistake. Sometimes you just barely lose - although Ciccone's sourpuss about it persona was serious.flyer14-11-2026
- I bet you photobombed the video since you are his shadow!frieders314-11-2026
- Skipping the 2027 TDF would be fine in my opinion, and if so, it further reveals that him racing it in 2026 was a good decision. Seixas speaks confident, almost cocky, these days (not meant to be a criticism) and I find it a tad humorous that people (rather commentators) continually chide and advise on how Decathlon should direct and manage Seixas when Paul seems to be calling all his shots since well before this year's TDF.flyer14-11-2026
- Well I just watched this and I thought it was great! If you’re a Pogi fan, like me, you’ll enjoy it. Even if you’re not necessarily a Pogi fan I still recommend it. There’s plenty of new stuff I didn’t know about and I’m a Pogi-maniac! Nice interviews with Pogi & Matteo Trentin too.Lozza14-11-2026
- Well I just watched this and I thought it was great! If you’re a Pogi fan, like me, you’ll enjoy it. Even if you’re not necessarily a Pogi fan I still recommend it. There’s plenty of new stuff I didn’t know about and I’m a Pogi-maniac! Nice interviews with Pogi & Matteo Trentin too. So Zonnewotsit can stick it!Lozza14-11-2026
- Who’s gifting grand tours at UAE? Defo not Pogi! Stage wins maybe.Lozza13-11-2026
- Sepp Kuss Vuelta 2023.Lozza13-11-2026
- they have no expertise with classics, they have no leaders in classics. the classics is dominated by the few Fuori Classe riders where other riders are left with scraps. the Hiring , the salaries dont make sense at all. Same problem as Man Utd. over paid players, egos, very little performanceabstractengineer13-11-2026
- Contract year means you gotta win, at least collect UCI points, helping be damnedabstractengineer13-11-2026
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