How Slovenian coach's quick-thinking saved Pogacar's European title: "Official boards consistently showed 5 to 7 seconds less than the gaps – Tadej needed exact information"
Cycling
Slovenian national coach Uroš Murn has hailed Tadej Pogacar’s stunning solo victory at the 2025 European Championships as one of the champion's most hard-fought wins to date – and a collective triumph built on unity, trust, and sheer sacrifice from his teammates.
While the narrative may now feel familiar – Pogacar riding away from the best in the world to take another title – Murn insists this time was different. “When Tadej wins, it always looks easy,” Murn said post-race in conversation with Val 202. “But this time it was a bit harder. The gaps weren’t as big as they seemed. We were on edge the entire time.”
Murn revealed that behind the seemingly unflappable exterior of the double world champion was a tightly-run operation battling to manage time gaps, fatigue, and an elite-level chase group that included Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel.
“At first the gap was about 30 seconds, then it hovered around a minute,” Murn explained. “On a 200-kilometre course with so many top riders, you can never relax. We had people stationed around the circuit, taking our own time checks, because the official boards were consistently showing five to seven seconds less than the actual gaps. That was crucial. Tadej needed exact information – and we gave it to him.”
"They left their hearts on the road for Tadej"
While the headlines rightly belong to Tadej Pogacar, Slovenia’s European title was the product of a well-drilled team that blended star power with grit — and delivered when it mattered most.
World Tour professionals Matej Mohoric, Domen Novak, and Matevz Govekar played key roles in controlling the race during its early phases, particularly over the Col du Moulin à Vent and the opening circuits of the Côte de Saint-Romain-de-Lerps. Yet it was the effort of the lesser-known names that left the deepest impression on the national coach.
“With tears in my eyes, I say this: these lads gave everything,” Murn said. “They’re from the third tier of professional cycling, but they rode with a world-class mentality. One hundred percent commitment. They left their hearts on the road for Tadej.”
Riders like Mihael Štajnar, Tilen Finkšt, Anže Skok, and Jaka Primožič played crucial team roles — whether chasing, controlling, or simply sacrificing themselves to keep Slovenia’s leader well-positioned before his decisive move. “Each rider did exactly what was needed,” Murn added. “You can’t ask for more than that.”
The Slovenian team lines up pre-race
"He doesn’t go full gas – he rides with precision"
As the race approached the third ascent of the brutal Côte de Saint-Romain-de-Lerps, the moment of truth arrived. With 75km to go, Pogacar attacked – distancing Evenepoel and setting off alone into the final third of the race.
From the outside, it looked like another typical Pogacar masterclass. But Murn says the effort was far from automatic. “We have to understand how Tadej rides,” he explained. “On the flats, he controls himself – never goes full gas. He just holds the tempo. But on the climbs, he rides with precise, hard intervals. The course suited him: 400 metres of steep ramp, followed by 1600 metres of drag. That’s where he took time every lap. It was all under control – but it wasn’t easy.”
Throughout the final circuits, Slovenian staff provided real-time updates on the status of the chase group behind – whether they were working together, which riders were fading, and even how fresh they looked based on facial expressions. “Tadej had to know exactly where he stood – we were brutally honest,” Murn said. “He needed to know if they were rotating, if someone was sitting on, or if they were cracking. That gave him the confidence to pace it to the end.”
A solo win, but a team victory
While Pogacar crossed the line alone – arms raised, the new European champion – Murn was quick to reiterate that the victory belonged to the entire Slovenian setup. “Tadej finished it, yes – but we all built it,” Murn said. “From the riders on the road to the staff taking time splits – everyone did their job. The fact that we won with this kind of team makes it even more special.”
Looking ahead, Murn’s focus is already turning to next season. He will lead the Slovenian elite men’s team through to the end of the 2028 Olympic cycle, but the immediate priority is next year’s European Championships – where Ljubljana will host the continent’s best riders, and Pogacar has already committed to defending his title on home soil.
“We’ve made history here – the first gold medal for Slovenia at the European Championships,” Murn concluded. “Now we look ahead. We’ll be ready.”
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
claps 37visitors 25
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- 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
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
Loading
1 Comments