Former junior Paris-Roubaix champions who raced against Tadej Pogacar: "He didn't stand out at all at the time"
Cycling
While for Bram Welten a victory at junior version of Paris-Roubaix in 2015 may have been the highlight of his career, there was a rider back then finishing in 30th place who would ten years later be dubbed as top favorite to win the elite version - Tadej Pogacar. However at the time, the name hadn't even caught Welten's attention.
"I might have been a bit more mature then," he laughs while reminiscing on his junior years in an interview with WielerFlits. Pogacar also couldn't use his strength as much then. "You were only allowed to ride with a maximum of gear 52/14. That made the pace much slower, especially on the cobblestones."
A year later, Pogacar had already moved up in the rankings. He arrived thirteenth in a group that sprinted for seventh place half a minute after winner Jarno Mobach. "I knew him, but he didn't stand out at all at the time. He was a bit my level, although I rode even better that year," the now retired Mobach says.
At the time the attention was on Pogacar's compatriot Jaka Primozic, one of the top juniors in 2016. "He had a Slovenian teammate, Jaka Primozic, who was much more consistent. It really only started for Pogacar from the second year of the U23s. From the moment he won the Tour de l'Avenir in 2018, things suddenly went very quickly for him."
The two are now eagerly awaiting the return of the world champion to the north of France. "It is of course different than with the juniors," laughs Welten. "I have now ridden Paris-Roubaix five times with the pros and the big difference is that the race is held for seventy percent in front of the Forest of Wallers."
"On television and in the media they always say that it only starts after that, but my experience is different. If you come out of the Bos in a good position, you have a big chance of a good result."
And the current Picnic PostNL rider has no doubt that Pogacar will be among them. "I think his chances are very high on Sunday. He won’t like to be in the crowd, so I expect him to start early. We should definitely count him among the potential winners. But they can’t take those triumphs from the past away from us anymore."
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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