"I think he still needs to mature a little bit" - Tejay Van Garderen suggests Tadej Pogacar needs to race more tactically
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar was phenomenal at the Giro d'Italia, winning the race by little less than 10 minutes is unprecedented in modern cycling history. But with that questions arise whether the Slovenian wouldn't have been better off riding more conservatively with views to Tour de France just a month later.
In NBC's 'Beyond the Podium' podcast former pro and current EF Education-EasyPost sports director Tejay Van Garderen analyzes Pogacar's energy spending at Giro: "There were multiple times where the stage was just there for him to take. And if it's there for him to take, go ahead and take it," he draws an example on the shortened stage 16 to Santa Cristina Valgardena, where Movistar basically controlled the stage for the Slovenian, who didn't have to spend any extra energy bar the last five kilometers of the stage.
However there were times when UAE Team Emirates could've sat up and let the breakaway do their thing, but they paced for Pogacar instead. "Stage 8 was where he put his team on the front, nobody's up there for GC. You're wasting a lot of energy, your team is wasting a lot of energy. Tadej doesn't need to think only about himself, he also needs to think the effort his team making, because if he says 'I want to win today' and puts his team on the front, they're gonna pay for that."
"Regardless it was a very dominant display, super impressive. I loved watching it," Van Garderen makes clear from the fan perspective. "But I do think he still needs to mature a little bit. And think about 'Am I spending energy in the right places? For the right reasons?'" is his advice to the 25-year-old phenomenon on the brink of reaching the 'legend of the sport' status.
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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MarkFour07-11-2026 - 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
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- 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
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