Michael Boogerd on Tadej Pogacar: "I don't think we'll see such extreme dominance again next year"
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar has experienced a season like no other in modern cycling, and perhaps the best in the history of the sport. Former pro Michael Boogerd surrendered to the spectacle that is for a rider to deliver such incredible performances but doesn't believe it's repeatable for the 2025 season.
Whilst there certainly is an argument for the Slovenian's dominance becoming draining for some cycling fans, the Dutchman sees it the other way around. "No, I can really enjoy Tadej Pogacar. He can't help it that he is so much better than the rest. I look at it as an expert and can really appreciate such an effort because I can estimate how good you have to be for that. But cycling is more than just the battle for victory," Boogerd said in De Stelling magazine.
Boogerd wrote about how different kinds of performances and rides are entertaining for him to watch, and it doesn't necessarily have to do with the result that the rider has at the end of the day. "When I watch the World Championships, I can also really enjoy Bauke Mollema excelling. Or Vingegaard putting his team in the lead in the Tour on the way to Plateau de Beille and then still losing. I also think it's great to see someone lose in style. There's beauty in that too."
Pogacar this year has won most of his races with dominance. Long solo victories at Strade Bianche, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, GP de Montréal, Giro dell'Emilia and many stage wins were won with big gaps and very little tension in the fight for the win. But at the same time, it's something rare to witness, and Boogerd focuses on that aspect of his wins:
"Of course I understand that people like to have excitement until the last kilometer. I think that's great too. But as a cycling fan, you also have to be able to appreciate it when a champion like Pogacar shows his class. It's also been a particularly successful year for him. Everything worked out. I don't think we'll see such extreme dominance again next year."
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- I hope he rides a bitmij15-11-2026
- Greatest athlete this world has ever produced ! LOL ... you definitely are a comdian ! Cycling is so sprecialized and you think he's the greatest athlete ever ! Still laughing !frieders315-11-2026
- b.s. headline. Jonas wasn't told anything, it is just a pundit telling him what to do. the actual article is not even close to the insinuation of the headline.mij15-11-2026
- I think Roglic could have beaten Sepp. not Jonas. I was referring to Sepp.mij15-11-2026
- I'm deeply sick of this guy and his unwillingness to race seriously for more than a month or two. I'll never respect riders who do that. Seixas will be stronger than him next season, and maybe Del Toro as well. I don't even think he'll finish on the podium at any GT where Pogi, Seixas, and Del Toro are racing.megasmacky15-11-2026
- Not a chance in hell.megasmacky15-11-2026
- If you go watch some races from last season other riders that have never caught Jonas...are now catching him. Some are just riding away from him and he can't hold the wheelmd197514-11-2026
- He just doesn't have the desire anymore. I read an article earlier today that said he almost retired last year. His reasoning was he is away from home to much. Visma was able to keep him riding by allowing him to skip certain camps. So, while currently Visma is doing altitude work...Jonas is at home. Which means 2 things. 1- He maybe fresher than other riders. But, not the condition. 2-Is a somewhat slap in the face to others on the team that are supposed to help him win. Yet feel like he hasn't done what they have so perhaps they don't provide as good of protection or they ride more for theme (which the team may not notice).md197514-11-2026
- Roglic could not have won anyway, after Jonas followed him when Roglic decided it was his turn for a stage win. Jonas had already attacked Kuss twice, so it was Jonas who was within seconds of taking the lead before Kuss was 'gifted' the win. It felt a bit like Roglic was being thrown under the bus when the team made his unhappiness public.Hills3314-11-2026
- POG1, another nice doc about our favourite, I watched most of it with a big smile on my face (except for the bits about his crashes 😢 obvs!).Lozza14-11-2026
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