"I would have been completely satisfied with second place" - Tadej Pogacar recalls shock of taking Tour de France win ahead of Primoz Roglic
CyclingFriday, 07 August 2026 at 15:28
The 2020 Tour de France marked the beginning of a new era. Whilst previously Team Sky had dominated the Tour for almost a decade, the 2020's made way for the Slovenian wave. In 2020 Primoz Roglic looked set to win the race, until he lost it on the final competitive day. It was Tadej Pogacar who rode to his first yellow jersey, a victory that gave him mixed feelings.
“The whole situation was strange. Primoz had been Slovenia’s number one cyclist for some time. He was winning everything and he was already a legend," Pogacar thought back on the Tour 202 podcast.
In 2020 the Visma rider looked to be in control of the race, with a very strong collective backing him up in the mountains and form that saw him carry the race lead from stage 9 onwards. As a time trial specialist, the final challenge against the clock into La Planche des Belles Filles looked like it would fit him perfectly and would cement his victory.
Instead, the complete opposite would happen. “Everything had come together for him until the final day. The whole country and all the fans were preparing for him to finally win the Tour.”
“I would have been completely satisfied with second place. I had mentally prepared myself for that in the days before," Pogacar reveals.
On that infamous day, Pogacar took the victory in the time trial under the eyes of several stunned Visma riders. The win over Tom Dumoulin by a margin of 1:21 minutes was in itself a major shock; but Roglic's difficulty over the stage was an even bigger shock. In pain, with a crooked helmet and an unfamiliar struggle, Roglic made it to the finish 1:56 minutes back, losing the race in the Vosges.
Tadej Pogacar and Primoz Roglic at the end of the 2020 Tour de France
A time trial for the ages
“I gave everything in the time trial and there was nothing else I could do. I had no influence over how Primoz rode," Pogacar said. He was not expecting such a win, and a Tour victory that looked to come from nowhere. “When I saw how he reached the finish, my heart broke in two as well. I was not as happy as I could have been.”
It was a mixed feelings moment and few days for Pogacar, who snatched the Tour win away from one of his idols - in hindsight, the only Tour Roglic could've won. He understands that although he brought the title to Slovenia, his compatriots were hoping for a different rider to win.
“When Primoz crossed the finish line with that time loss, I simply could not believe it. It was probably the same for the whole of Slovenia and all the fans.”
“In the week after the race, I was at home and I did not celebrate the victory in the way I did the following year. It was difficult for me too.”
Read also
A Tour de France win with little celebration
Pogacar began that Tour without a support team behind him and without the expectations of taking the win. The monumental shift was not easy to absorb at the time.
“I have always told myself that I should have celebrated more at the time. But instead, I felt very low. Primoz has proved that he is a top cyclist and a legend of this sport, he has done a lot for cycling and for Slovenian sport.”
“He is someone you can call a hero, a legend and an idol for every young cyclist. That is exactly why I have always admired him.”
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.
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- Sometimes one athlete is just better than you and no amount of training or wishing will help.zaz07-08-2026
- Torito doesn't give me the impression that he's willing to accept 2nd place in his prime. After the Worlds last year he spoke about reducing the gap to Pogačar and reaching his level. Therefore, being at UAE or not doesn't matter
Rafionain-Glas07-08-2026 - A shame that that UAE have tied him inot the team for so long. I guess the guarantee of good steady and high income was persuasive. This young man could have been a genuine threat to Pocagar's dominence in a few years time. Tying up up a potential future threat with a long lucritive contract is an oft repeated story.Cyclingsbestfan07-08-2026
- By any standard other than Pogi Jonas had a fantastic season with 12 wins including the GC in the Giro and two major one week racesmobk07-08-2026
- Apparently you guys don't know much of the mindset of the elite athlete. Not a lot of athletes retire in their competitive prime. And they don't give up just because they can't beat so and so. Lots of elite athletes in the peloton sacrificing just as much as Jonas with far less to show for it.mobk07-08-2026
- Spectacular Kasia!mobk07-08-2026
- Quoting Cyclingnews not a rider...Rafionain-Glas07-08-2026
- Who's talking about a quote? No one is talking about the Giro or Vuelta, that's what Cycling News wrote after the 2025 TdF, after Jonas lost to Pogi the second year in a row. Last year Jonas was producing his best numbers ever but still lost TdF. Even in 2024 Jonas said "My level is higher then in 2023, my numbers are better despite my crash, but Pogi is just too strong." ... So, what's your point?PogiSloFans07-08-2026
- Ridiculous... that's not a quote. How would it be if it says 03/08/2025 but says that Vingegaard had conquered the Giro and Vuelta? At that point, he only had 2 ToursRafionain-Glas07-08-2026
- This is pretty amazing to watch!RidesHills07-08-2026
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