European cycling has witnessed a new exhibition of Tadej Pogacar. The Slovenian once again left the peloton without a response at the 2025 European Championships. On the demanding course in the French region of Ardèche, Pogacar launched with 75 kilometers to go and that was the last time his rivals saw his bib numbers.
A performance reminiscent of his sweep at the World Championships week earlier reignited the debate about his overwhelming superiority. Journalist and analyst Thijs Zonneveld, in his podcast In de Waaier, spared no praise in describing what many already consider an era dominated by the Slovenian prodigy.
"Maybe cycling has a problem," he dares to say, although he qualifies, "Not because Pogacar is doing anything wrong, quite the contrary. What he is doing is so exceptional that it can go on for years." Zonneveld points out that the Slovenian's versatility is almost unprecedented in modern cycling history.
"He wins in grand tours, classics, World Championships, and now also the European. If it weren't for Van der Poel, he would have won literally everything this season," he notes. Pogacar's superiority seems to be unwavering.
In a sport where historically specialists dominated certain disciplines - the climbers in the mountains, the sprinters on the flat - he is competitive (and dominant) in each of these terrains. "He's not the best at any one thing, but he's in the top three in everything," claims Zonneveld with a statement that seems to be rather underplaying Pogacar's greatness.
Tadej Pogacar successfully defended his world champion title in Rwanda
Even his supposed "weakness," Paris-Roubaix, is relative. "There he faces riders who weigh 15 kilos more than him, which complicates it. But even that is not a real weakness. It's hardly noticeable," says the analyst.
What really makes the difference is the impressive physiological basis on which Pogacar builds his performances. "In competitions like that in Rwanda, he barely came close to his threshold, while the others finished exhausted. That control allows him to stay fresh and dominate without wearing himself out," explains Zonneveld.
Superhuman-level training
Pogacar himself revealed in a previous interview how he trains at paces that, for most, would amount to extreme efforts. Then it's not as shocking that a 2-hour solo slightly above his threshold is not a problem.
"He does long-distance rides at 4.5 to 5 watts per kilogram, which he doesn't consider intense training. He can maintain that pace for hours, even a whole day," Zonneveld relates. "While others are at the limit, he hardly seems to push himself. That's why he can attack with 75 kilometers to go and maintain the lead with apparent ease."
Beyond simple fitness, Zonneveld considers Pogacar to be "on another level." "We are no longer talking about a one-off performance peak, as is often the case with other riders. His consistency, his ability to regulate and his tactical mastery are a sign that he has redefined the threshold of high performance in this sport."
Pogacar's season is slowly coming to an end with 18 victories within 48 race days at the moment - an impressive 37.5% win-rate. Pogacar will have the opportunity to round off his season record at 20 with two more competitions this week; the Tre Valli Varesine on Tuesday and finally Il Lombardia on Saturday. There, the world champion can aim for a fifth consecutive title.
Read also
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
claps 24visitors 20
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- wtf dudemij07-11-2026
- big rival … ridiculous.Ketterechts07-11-2026
- It would be great if the World Champion's jersey could be rotated among McNulty, Simmons, and Jorgenson. They threaded the needle perfectly. If each hadn't done exactly what he did, exactly when he did it, the race would have gone to one of the more heralded superstars. That said, how nice that this humble and hardworking guy gets his moment in the sun.
MarkFour07-11-2026 - This is a really interesting idea, which, if well prepared could even be very successful. Very little money needs to be involved for a first season and any success could lead to rapid interest from sponsors.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Hmmm, you seem to have a very convenient black and white view of things. Perhaps you haven’t been around much to discover how complex problems can become over time with people who know how to control, manipulate (or worse) others so gradually or subtly that you arrive at an irresolvable situation before you realise. This is how many inconveniences get introduced to the young, naïve, passionate or “desperate”, knowing they are not armed, protected or strong enough to defend themselves once it’s too late. Why do you think omerta culture is so widespread, why do you think so many people continue to go through so many awful things in life that others can’t understand anyone getting into? Life may be far more jolly for you but you would do well to understand (or reflect more on) the real world to refrain from being so quick to criticise those in a hard spot that may have genuine reason for speaking out.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Seriously do you think when somebody gets into a serious accident, the ambulance is called by the hurt person?🤦 there is always a buddy system in place for a risky job. police , firefighters etc so that if someone gets hurt, the other call that in.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
Loading
28 Comments