"He wasn't working as hard as others..." - The reason why Tadej Pogacar evolved massively after 2022 and how a Tour de France climb was the trigger
Cycling
In 2024 Tadej Pogacar took a leap that saw him become an almost unmatched figure in pro cycling. As we learn through insight from several of his teammates, that was due to lacking some details in his preparation during the early years of his career. According to George Bennett, former teammate at UAE Team Emirates - XRG, the implosion on the 2022 Col du Granon at the Tour de France was a key moment in his 'awakening'.
Bennett was under contract with the Emirati team in 2022, fresh off being signed from rival team Visma. Whilst he did not finish that Tour de France, he was with the team on the day where, on stage 11, Tadej Pogacar came under raid from the Dutch team, and had a major fall-out on the brutal Col du Granon.
That stage saw him lose minutes to Jonas Vingegaard who would then go on to win his first Tour, avoiding time losses over the following mountain stages. In that year the New Zealander recognized that Pogacar was still having gaps in his armour.
"I met him when we lost the Tour de France on the Col du Granon. I think that moment was pivotal in his career. Back then, he already had enormous talent, but he wasn't working as hard as others," Bennett said in an interview with Marca.
He believes that was what was missing at the time which, when fixed, led to his further development as a rider. "Now he's completely focused: he trains incredibly hard, he's changed his diet… He has the greatest talent in the world and a very strong mentality. He's unstoppable [...] Yes, exactly. Granon awakened the beast".
In a recent interview, Pogacar's teammate and compatriot Domen Novak said that Pogacar won his first Tour (in 2020) "while eating pizza, drinking beer, and playing PlayStation". Whilst such statement is ambiguous and doesn't refer to the specific timing, Bennett does not deny that Pogacar was so genetically gifted that he could afford to take it easier and achieve better results than the average rider. But ultimately that lack of focus may have led him to lose a Tour de France, or more.
"Yes, although it's not that he didn't know what he was doing. He's simply so talented that he didn't need to take as much care of himself as others," the Kiwi argues. "Everything he's achieved is the result of his hard work, and he's understood the importance of the small details. After losing that Tour, that's when he really changed. When you combine talent and hard work, the result is unstoppable".
Comparing Tadej Pogacar with Chris Froome
Pogacar now has four Tour de France titles in his palmarès, matching Chris Froome who achieved the same the previous decade. However Bennett, who has seen both riders climb at their prime, sees them as very different riders on the climbs.
"Pogacar enjoys being on the bike immensely. Froome does too, but he comes from a different school, that of INEOS or Sky, where the whole team worked more around him," Bennett explained.
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 4visitors 4
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- This is a really interesting idea, which, if well prepared could even be very successful. Very little money needs to be involved for a first season and any success could lead to rapid interest from sponsors.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Hmmm, you seem to have a very convenient black and white view of things. Perhaps you haven’t been around much to discover how complex problems can become over time with people who know how to control, manipulate (or worse) others so gradually or subtly that you arrive at an irresolvable situation before you realise. This is how many inconveniences get introduced to the young, naïve, passionate or “desperate”, knowing they are not armed, protected or strong enough to defend themselves once it’s too late. Why do you think omerta culture is so widespread, why do you think so many people continue to go through so many awful things in life that others can’t understand anyone getting into? Life may be far more jolly for you but you would do well to understand (or reflect more on) the real world to refrain from being so quick to criticise those in a hard spot that may have genuine reason for speaking out.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Seriously do you think when somebody gets into a serious accident, the ambulance is called by the hurt person?🤦 there is always a buddy system in place for a risky job. police , firefighters etc so that if someone gets hurt, the other call that in.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
Loading
2 Comments