"It was a dream where we did some crazy shit" - Tadej Pogacar reveals lucid Mathieu van der Poel moment in rivalry admission
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel's racing relationship has often transcended just a mere rivalry. Their undeniable synergy and chemistry makes them the stuff of nightmare for a peloton as the duo often find themselves on the same wavelength: determined to blow up the race in pursuit of victory.
The pair's rivalry would seem unlikely on paper. A Tour de France winner and the best general classification rider, it's uncommon for a rider of those credentials to step into the classics pool. But Pogacar is no normal rider.
Meanwhile, van der Poel rules the roost as the classics' apex predator. Put together, in their titanic struggles to wrestle victory from each other, they've often found the winning formula is cooperation. Whether it's Milano Sanremo, Tour of Flanders or Paris Roubaix, the pair have blown apart each one together as the best of rivals.
Such is Pogacar's affinity with the Alpecin-Premier Tech maestro and their renowned duels, he's not kept awake at night, but instead sees the imposing Dutchman in his dreams at night.
An upcoming documentary, "Anatomy of a G.O.A.T.", on HBO Max and Eurosport is set to 'reveal the scientific secrets behind one of the most dominant eras in road cycling'. The documentary looks into Pogacar's physiological traits and how they contributed to his dominance of the sport.
Set to be released this Saturday, 7th November, several clips have emerged. In one, Pogacar himself details a dream he had about him and van der Poel, which led to his stress and adrenaline levels while sleeping reaching unprecedented levels on his Whoop monitor.
Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel
Pogacar reveals Mathieu van der Poel dream
Pogacar explained: "It wasn't a dream where Mathieu attacked me. But it was a dream where we did 'some crazy shit' on the descent.
"It was towards the end of the night, and on the Whoop stress score you can see that I score higher there. I think I had too much adrenaline at that moment."
A memorable moment in their rivalry came at the 2025 Paris Roubaix as the pair duelled for the win, leading to Pogacar steering off the cobbles on a bend and van der Poel taking the win as he capitalised on the error.
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Pogacar sees an idol in his rival
Speaking afterwards, Pogacar admitted that the Dutch rider would be his idol if he was a child watching cycling in a major compliment to his rival. The pair would not engage in a siimilar battle at this year's edition of the race, however, as van der Poel suffered a disastrous Arenberg sector that included two punctures.
"Mathieu was slightly better today, but he is also a great champion. I consider it an honor to race against him. I always say: 'If I were a child now, Mathieu would be my idol.'
"It gives me extra motivation to race against him. In terms of power output, Paris Roubaix was one of the toughest races I have ever done. Compared to the Glasgow World Championship in 2023? I think my overall power output was even higher in Paris-Roubaix, but at that World Championship there were more explosive efforts of thirty seconds at six hundred watts."
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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- Great win.However will the world champions jersey be simply a domestic for the season which will some what tarnish the jersey. I hope he is given free rein to try and win some races.paultryan200206-11-2026
- Gretsky wow how old are you lol. Classy sportman though.🤣🤣🤣🤣 Hope it is a good as the one they made on Mark Cavendish.paultryan200206-11-2026
- Literally the perfect RedBull athlete.anonymouscyclist06-11-2026
- And well understood in the CX community.anonymouscyclist06-11-2026
- "Anatomy of a G.O.A.T." OK, that's great!!! I've been saying all along: Tadej Pogačar-Pogi is the G.O.A.T... period. Not only in cycling... but he's the greatest sportsman that ever lived !!! But let's take a look of what real foolishness is. We have many many fools, also on this site, saying that Pogi is "boring,"... he's making cycling "boring"??? I can't believe what's comming out of their deteriorating bad breath mouths. So I guess Merckx, Hinault, Indurain, Fasto Coppi and Anquetil were also boring at their time!?!? I guess Michael Jordan, Le Bron, Gretzky, Messi, Ronaldo, Shumacher, Novak Džoković, Federer, Rossi, Marquez, Phelps, Michaela Shiffrin, Venus Williams, Bolt, Lewis Hamilton... etc. were all boring. PS: Many cycling fans that think that way, have to get a brain scan. Ad acta!!!PogiSloFans06-11-2026
- ridiculous. a normal racing incident. how lame do you have to be to complain about that?Ketterechts06-11-2026
- Rubbing is racing.
santiagobenites06-11-2026 - Throws an elbow, but crashes afterwards and he's upset.
Front24206-11-2026 - There should be nothing but praise for them: 1. Trying to make things safer, and 2. Trying something "new".acem8206-11-2026
- And a bit of a malcontent on top of it all that doesn’t help.mij06-11-2026
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