Damiano Caruso on Tadej Pogacar: "We’re racing with a rider who is going close to being one of the greatest talents of all-time"
Cycling
The Giro d'Italia peloton seems to be finally enjoying some more freedom at the start of the second week as Tadej Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates are satisfied with their lead and three stage wins. However, rivals admit that racing in the same peloton as the Slovenian makes it harder for them to aim for results and definitely cuts the amount of opportunities.
“It doesn’t bother me because Pogačar is a talent who has the ability to enjoy himself while he’s racing his bike,” Italian veteran Damiano Caruso said in an interview with Cyclingnews. “And you have to remember that, like in every team, there’s a big staff behind him, and the best way to thank all of them is to win." Hence in the opening week Pogacar won both summit finishes to Oropa and Prati di Tivo, the time-trial, whilst UAE also worked on stage 1 to exhaustion to provide the Slovenian with the opportunity to take the first pink jersey.
It's Pogacar's world and the rest of the Giro peloton is living in it, some could say. “The rest of us just have to watch it, and we don’t need to make a polemic out of it," Caruso argues. But it is not upsetting to the Bahrain - Victorious, who was on the podium in 2021. "We’re racing with a rider who is going close to being one of the greatest talents of all-time."
"We’re in a special historical moment, and we almost have to accept that we’re fortunate to be able to see this athlete in action up close. A lot of people at home would pay just to be close enough to him for a photo. So no, I’m not frustrated, I think what they’re doing is right.”
Compatriot Alessandro De Marchi is a breakaway specialist and is looking to finally add a Giro d'Italia win to his palmarès - after recently winning at the Tour of the Alps. However he admits that Pogacar's presence in the race makes it more difficult for him. “The presence of Pogačar automatically throws the usual strategies out the window, because now you have a maglia rosa who is present in every phase of the race, not only in the mountains."
The 37-year old is a specialist on the hilly days, but nowadays the world's top climbers are also the world's top puncheurs and it makes things difficult for everyone else. “Things have changed with riders like Pogačar, Evenepoel and Van der Poel. This is cycling in 2024.”
Read also
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 7visitors 5
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- for what?frieders311-11-2026
- Blah blah blah!frieders311-11-2026
- Where Merckx just rode every single race he could and won all the time, Hinault won less often (percentage wise) because he was more judicious in what he raced. His palmares are nuts. He had amazing rivals, one to start his career and another to end it in the grand tours. His classics were solid. What sets him apart from Merckx and Pogačar are that he basically dabbled in the classics while the other two love(d) them. I used to compare Pogačar to Hinault for his grand tour record and occasional classics win, until I realized that the comparison was wrong. Pogačar loves the classics - ah, the memory of his reaction to finishing fourth in a 2 person sprint in Flanders in ‘22: utter domination in any one day race since then, even when he doesn’t win. Hinault lived for the grand tours and I don’t think anyone else will ever reach his record. 10 wins in 13 attempts? Good lord. An amazing rider. Wish there was more footage to watch.RidesHills11-11-2026
- I had no idea about that either.
santiagobenites10-11-2026 - great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
- As he isn't currently with Red Bull, I guess if he want to race for one more year he needs to find a team. He's 37 so this will be his last year I would guess, unless he wants to race for almost nothing like Froome did.awp10-11-2026
- I think some are making much ado about nothing. Even though Jonas is getting older, before his crash in the Tour, he looked like a solid 2nd all the way home. No one can really climb with Tadej until this year, Eric Mas showed himself which I think was a one off year for him and Paul Seixas has been able to be pretty close to him. Whatever stage race Jonas enters as long as Tadej is not there he is a favorite to win.awp10-11-2026
- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
- Ciccone had a very strong end of season. Consistently attacking and livening up races. Hope he makes that last leap in progress and starts notching some significant wins. Great rider to watch.Occam10-11-2026
Loading
📈 A stage not hard for the GC favourites, but potentially too tough for the sprinters, and a huge chance for some attackers to claim success! #GirodItalia | @NamedSport
2 Comments