"If you want to waste an hour of your time..." - Thijs Zonneveld rips into Pogacar documentary as analyst claims production lacked new information
Cycling
Dutch cycling analyst Thijs Zonneveld didn't mince his words when it came to rating the recently released Tadej Pogacar documentary - claiming that the production brought no new facts or revelations as he handed it a zero-stars rating.
The Eurosport and HBO Max production, the premiere episode of the 'Anatomy of a GOAT' series about sport's greatest athletes, centered around the Slovenian and the scientific analysis of what makes him so dominant and successful.
It featured a host of interviews, including Pogacar himself, Eddy Merckx, Alberto Contador and a bunch of analysts and fitness experts such as Whoop staff, cycling performance analysts and biographers.
The documentary featured sections exploring Pogacar's power output, training insights, his recovery and health data as well as a look back at some of his defining performances.
However, analyst Zonneveld has criticised the documentary citing a lack of new revelations - claiming that much of the material was already of public knowledge.
"It was terrible, I talked about it earlier in the podcast and made a promise to myself to watch it, but I deeply regretted it," he said on In de Waaier.
Zonneveld claims he 'fell asleep' during documentary
"I think I made it about halfway through, and somewhere in the last half hour I fell asleep. It was really terrible. There is nothing new in it, because it is merely a repetition of public facts that have been known for a long time."
Zonneveld took issue with elements of the program citing clear facts already reported about Pogacar, and also claiming that Pogacar himself doesn't add much by the way of content. He criticised the influence of Whoop on the documentary as he summarised his rating of the production.
"That he can pedal a lot of watts, that his heart rate is very low, and that he has a lot of talent... Pogacar says something about it for three minutes and that's about it.
"Otherwise, it's a sort of advertisement for Whoop. If you want to waste an hour of your time, I recommend it, but if you want to do something fun, I definitely advise against it. Zero stars."
Contador offered major praise for Pogacar in the documentary, labelling him the greatest rider of all time.
Contador praises Pogacar
“I believe Tadej Pogacar is the greatest cyclist of all time," Contador said. "Tadej wants to win everything. I think he aims to secure as many Monuments, Tour de France titles, and world championship titles as possible, in addition to winning as many individual stages as he can at the Tour de France.”
'El Pistolero', a legend in modern cycling and current presenter at Eurosport, believes the Slovenian has already reached the great of all time status.
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“If you really think about it, it’s very difficult to find an athlete from any other sport throughout history who has been so vastly superior to their rivals. I was reflecting on this and thought of Usain Bolt.
"But, of course, Tadej Pogacar displays this level of dominance in every single race he enters, from February through October.”
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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