“I should have gotten a photo with him afterwards” – Tadej Pogacar’s conqueror admits feeling ‘slightly guilty’ for beating world champion at his own charity ride

40-year-old British amateur Andrew Feather has reflected with a mixture of disbelief, pride and good humour on the moment he handed Tadej Pogacar a rare defeat — on the Slovenian’s favourite climb, in front of thousands of the world champion's adoring fans.

The Brit produced the ride of his life to hold off the world champion at Pogacar’s charity challenge from Komenda to Krvavec, staying ahead all the way to the summit despite Pogacar’s blistering pursuit.

“I kept on looking over my shoulder thinking he was going to come up at some point, but he didn’t – he didn’t manage to catch me,” Feather told Cycling Weekly. “There were literally thousands of people at the end… Everyone came out to watch him in action. He probably wanted to cross the line first, so I felt slightly guilty that I took that away from him,” he laughed.

Feather broke clear of the mass start group after just five minutes of climbing, powering to the summit in 44:15.3. Averaging around 400 watts — or 6.2 watts per kilo — for the effort, he crossed the line ahead of Pogacar, who had started several minutes later. “[Pogacar] was about two and a half minutes quicker than that, so he must have been doing probably close to seven [watts per kilo],” Feather explained. “It just shows you that he’s a completely different class, but it’s amazing just to have that absolute direct comparison to the best rider at the moment in the world, maybe ever as well.”

The result came less than 24 hours after Pogacar’s fifth straight victory at Il Lombardia, which capped off one of the most dominant seasons in modern cycling. But on Sunday, on Pogacar's home roads, it was Feather’s turn to savour the spotlight — however briefly.

After the finish, Pogacar congratulated his unexpected conqueror with a handshake and a trophy presentation. “He said, ‘Great ride. Well done’,” Feather recalled. “The only thing I regret is I should have gotten a photo with him afterwards. It’s obviously a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Feather now turns his attention back to more familiar domestic terrain. His next target is the British National Hill Climb Championships on 26 October, taking place on the short but brutal Bank Road in Matlock, Derbyshire — a course of just 834 metres.

“Now I’ve got to get into the mentality of riding a two-minute climb over the next 10 days,” he said. “There’s a lot of people in the mix. It won’t necessarily be won by a climber. It could be won by a sprinter.”

For a rider best known on the UK hill climb scene, beating the best cyclist in the world on his home mountain is a story that will live long in the memory — even if the moment passed too quickly for a photo.