Convicted doper responds to Pogacar allegations: "I can't imagine that - he's simply an exceptional athlete"
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar was a dominant force of the 2025 Tour de France and just like a year prior, gave no chance to any of his opponents, breaking a few historical climbing records along the way. Inevitably, doping speculations have once again arised. Is it even realistic possibility at this time and era?
"I can't imagine it," concludes Swiss ex-pro Rolf Järmann in an interview with Blick. The Classics star of 90s with two victories at Amstel Gold Race and overall victory at Tirreno-Adriatico has admitted to have been doping during his career retrospectively. As many others did at the time.
"When I was active, we doped extensively. We knew it was illegal, but we didn't feel guilty about it. Things are completely different today," he explains: "Pogacar and his friends grew up differently; they're much more aware. The controls are also much better than they used to be. I don't believe in systematic doping."
Järmann continues: "Cheating alone is much more complicated. You need doctors and pharmacists behind it and supplying you. Let's say Pogacar's UAE team is practicing doping. The risk of being exposed is much greater than in my time – because back then, all the teams covered for each other."
According to the Swissman, the incredible performances we are seeing lately are a lofical outcome of a rapid development of the sport during last two decades. "Wattages are rising - just look at how much more professional cycling has become compared to the EPO era. Equipment, nutrition, tactics, recovery - everything is more advanced."
Järmann then gives an example only somebody who witnessed the "old" era can: "You know, when I retired in 1999, I guarded my 10,000-franc Colnago bike like a treasure. When I rented a new racing bike in Mallorca ten years later, I realized: This rides a hundred times better! The development has been rapid."
How does Järmann then explain Pogacar's great performances where only very few can even compare to the Slovenian? "He's an exceptional athlete. There are always exceptional athletes, no matter the sport. But his competitors in the Tour de France have also beaten themselves."
People are still inclined towards explaining such phenomenon with the simple "he's doping" without having any evidence to support those claims. "It has to do with cycling's past. No one ever thought that the exceptional athlete Federer had doped. Or that Odermatt could. Don't get me wrong, I think that's a good thing. But ultimately, you can profit from doping in every sport, not just cycling."
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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- He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
- That is a very lazy way of putting it but so far on this website it seems like everyone is happy to look at everything lazily, even things that annoy them intensely. All they want to do is state their feeling and position but ask most to analyse a problem or come up with solutions or improvements and you’re stunned by silence. Nobody even really knows how this all happens. It’s very simple and quick to just say the UCI did it but I bet you they didn’t, I bet you not more than 2 people were involved, more likely just 1. The UCI may be ultimately responsible but it is not their decision, this is about hierarchy, power and delegation. The fact that protest is possible also means it isn’t over and that MORE people could get involved for a thorough review which could throw up anything. It is highly likely it was a sole commissar who decided and has that power in a first round. Therein might lie the problem the UCI has to consider, is it acceptable to give so much authority to one single person when it is quite possible for them to have a natural bias or be too easily susceptible to imposed bias. Who is to say an individual in this position isn’t susceptible to collaboration with outside players with interests in the results, nations, families, teams, betting companies, etc. On the one hand we have sports where these problems have been worked on way more to reduce such problems, on the other hand we have sports with far stricter and more draconian rules not even concerning safety or obstruction that nobody really questions like false starts or stepping out of lane or zones in athletics. If cycling hastowork on itself, it would be good if protagonists (all kinds) would start doing a little more than just moaning over outcomes.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- What a race! I didn't expect Vanthourenhout to collapse like that, and Wyseure did take the fight to Nys, but there was no doubt at the end. I also wonder what Aubin Sparfel would be capable of were he to race in the elites now. In the U23 ranks he is making good work of Giel Lejeune, who himself is among the better riders in the elites, and a top 10 contender in the big races (3rd at Kleebergcross, 8th at Berencross and 5th at Heerderstrand). In the French Cup, Sparfel is significantly better than Romain Debord (8th at Koppenbergcross and 10th at the Euros) and Rémi Lelandais (12th at Koppenbergcross and 19th at the Euros).
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
- He should have been allowed to go to Movistar. Right now both arent a good fit for each other and are just wasting each other's time and effortabstractengineer08-11-2026
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