“It almost looks as though he’s not suffering” – Alessandro Petacchi hails “beautiful to watch” Tadej Pogacar amid criticism over constant winning
Cycling
Alessandro Petacchi sees no reason for Tadej Pogacar to stop chasing victories simply because his dominance has reopened debate over the spectacle of the Tour de France. The legendary Italian sprinter believes the apparent ease of the Slovenian’s performances conceals the sacrifice required to produce them.
Pogacar has already won three stages of the 2026 Tour, taking control of the general classification in the Pyrenees before extending his advantage with another dominant display at Le Lioran. After 12 stages, the UAE Team Emirates – XRG leader held a 3:36 advantage over Jonas Vingegaard, with Remco Evenepoel more than four minutes behind.
That superiority has not been universally celebrated. Pogacar was booed by some spectators during his Bastille Day victory on stage 10, while L’Equipe devoted prominent coverage to the question of whether his dominance was damaging the suspense of the sport.
Speaking to TuttoBiciWeb during a Community Ride event at Cicli Drali, the six-time Tour stage winner, and 2010 Tour de France green jersey offered a firmly different view. Petacchi described Pogacar as “beautiful to watch” and compared his relentless pursuit of success with Eddy Merckx, cycling’s original Cannibal.
Petacchi sees the sacrifice behind Pogacar’s apparent ease
Petacchi now represents DMT, the footwear manufacturer used by Pogacar, and spoke proudly about the company’s relationship with the leading rider of his generation.
“First of all, it is a source of pride for the company I represent to know that Tadej will use our shoes for as long as he races, and to be looking after the strongest rider in the world,” Petacchi said. “From my point of view, it is beautiful to watch his class and his constant desire to win. From the outside, it almost looks as though he is not suffering, but there is an enormous amount of sacrifice behind his results.”
That sense of effortlessness has been reinforced by the manner of Pogacar’s victories. He won at Les Angles on stage 3, then demolished the leading contenders on the mountainous sixth stage to move into yellow before adding another solo success at Le Lioran.
His stage 10 attack left Vingegaard 54 seconds behind and pushed the overall margin beyond three and a half minutes. Pogacar responded dismissively to the roadside boos, saying the hostility had given him and his teammates additional motivation, while Vingegaard publicly urged spectators not to target his rival.
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Petacchi is unmoved by the suggestion that Pogacar should show greater restraint to preserve a closer contest. For the Italian, the opportunity to win is there to be taken.
“I do not see why he should give up the chance to win when he is capable of doing so,” Petacchi continued. “Cycling history has already had a Cannibal called Eddy Merckx, who won more than 500 races and is still being talked about today.”
Merckx’s appetite for victories extended far beyond the Tour de France and became the defining feature of his career. Pogacar’s programme and racing style have increasingly invited the same comparison, particularly when he continues attacking despite already holding a substantial advantage.
Berzin admits the main battle is behind Pogacar
Former Giro d’Italia winner Evgenij Berzin offered a less enthusiastic assessment of the current competitive picture. With Pogacar firmly in yellow and UAE Team Emirates – XRG controlling the race around him, Berzin believes the closest contest is now for the remaining podium places.
“It is true that the interesting battle is for second and third place, because unfortunately there is no real fight for first against UAE and their leader,” Berzin said.
Vingegaard remained Pogacar’s nearest challenger after stage 12, with Evenepoel, Juan Ayuso and 19-year-old French debutant Paul Seixas following behind. None had managed to recover the time lost during Pogacar’s decisive attacks in the opening half of the race.
Pogacar looks set for a 5th Maillot Jaune triumph in 2026
Berzin nevertheless pointed to Miguel Indurain’s five consecutive Tour victories between 1991 and 1995, arguing that long periods of control by one outstanding rider are hardly unique to the current generation. “But periods of dominance have always existed,” Berzin added. “It was not so different in my time: when Indurain kept winning…”
The margins have given Pogacar’s critics ample material, but Petacchi is more impressed by how consistently he converts superiority into victories. With the hardest part of the Tour still ahead, the Slovenian has shown no indication that he intends to begin leaving opportunities to anyone else.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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