"I think the dominance is a bit of a shame" - Pogacar's climbing quality does not appease to all fans of the sport

Tadej Pogacar's incredibly strong performances throughout the 2024 season were a sight to behold and set a new benchmark for climbers to achieve in the sport, but occasionally it also takes away the tension and spectacle from pro races. Thijs Zonneveld specially recalls this year's Il Lombardia as the climax of this lack of excitement.

"It is exactly how you can estimate it in advance, and to be honest I was more done with it than I thought. It is very ambivalent: on the one hand I think it is historic, sportingly incredible and very clever what Pogacar does," Zonneveld said in the Het Wiel podcast.

On this day a very large breakaway was formed with strong riders from several teams, as teams knew UAE Team Emirates would not get help. Still, even with Pogacar's team failing to prevent a large group going up the road, it comfortably brought back the quality escapees and set Pogacar up to a victory that was nowhere near being contested by his rivals.

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"... The ease with which he rode away and the differences he made with the pursuers… 3.16 (minutes, ed.) with Evenepoel, 4.31 with Ciccone. 31 of them finished within ten minutes. If it was an all-out effort and you think: this man gave it his all, but that is simply not true," the Dutch pundit believes. The attack came with around 40 kilometers to go, and it didn't look too difficult for him to drop world-class climber.

"Uphill he was talking to a steer, just after he had attacked and Evenepoel was still ten seconds behind. He asked if there was another steer further on. Two bends after the top of the Sormano he sits with his mouth closed looking into the camera. Like: 'I don't even have to pant'. Then I really thought: that hurts me a bit. No matter how great and historic it is," he argues.

"The rest of the peloton really rode to make Pogacar lose. By sending really good riders along early on [to the breakaway]. Even with that approach, they didn't even come close. There are really good riders riding ahead who are caught far before the top of the Sormano."

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"The dominance was also never as great at Il Lombardia. Sprinting with Mas and with Masnada (2022 and 2021 respectively, ed.) is something else. He has made such a huge step. He, and also UAE as a team." There is no sign of this slowing down in 2025, which is not the most promising sign in terms of spectacle for the main races.

"I think the dominance is a bit of a shame. At the beginning of this year, he still had the favor factor of fans and riders in the peloton. In the Tour de France perhaps also, but that is really getting less," Zonneveld believes. "Hopefully there will be more battle next year, because we have seen too little of that this year."

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