"Jan immediately stopped pedaling, waited and then helped" - Slovenian coach explains how Tratnik's quick-thinking played key role in Tadej Pogacar's Rainbow Jersey victory

Tadej Pogacar was undoubtedly the strongest in the men's elite road race at the 2024 World Championships in Zurich. The thing about bike racing is though, the strongest doesn't always take victory. You need a little luck, good tactics and ever better teammates. In the form of Jan Tratnik, Pogacar certainly had the latter.

In the World Championship road races, there are no team radios. As such, when Pogacar attacked the peloton with 100km to go, Tratnik, who was up ahead in the breakaway, didn't initially know what had happened behind. As explained in a fascinating story by Slovenian national coach Uros Murn to Wielerflits, Tratnik used all his vast experience, racing guile and brilliant quick-thinking to pull a genius tactical move that ultimately helped fire his compatriot into the Rainbow Jersey. 

"You know, we don't have the strongest riders in the world, but they are very smart," laughs Murn as he begins his explanation. "Jan saw on the time board that the lead had suddenly decreased very quickly. It went from two and a half minutes to one minute and twenty."

Sensing something big might be happening behind, Tratnik pressed those around him for further information. "Jan asked a racing bike what was going on. The biker said that Tadej was coming, alone," continues the Slovenian coach. Upon hearing this, Tratnik had no second thoughts and immediately sacrificed his own chances in the lead group. "Jan immediately stopped pedalling, waited and then helped. That makes him a true champion," Murn says warmly. 

"We know that we are a little bit weaker compared to other countries. That's why we agreed on plan B, that we would sense when the right moment was," he continues, detailing how while a 100km attack hadn't been part of the plan, a long range Pogacar move had been discussed. "If he decides to go, he feels that this is the right moment and he knows that he can finish it. Especially because that group was still in front and Jan was there. I thought he could go in there for another lap and then go solo, but nobody wanted to work with Jan and so Tadej left early. That wasn't the plan, although I always said: maybe go before the last lap."