"People made me think I would be a new Tadej Pogacar" - Pablo Torres came back down to earth after the pressure he felt

After an impressive second place at the 2024 Tour de l’Avenir, the young Spaniard Pablo Torres, then only 19, stepped out of anonymity and into the spotlight. His displays in the mountain stages left plenty of people open-mouthed and, although he lost the overall classification to Joseph Blackmore, the Spaniard won two stages and set a new record on the Colle delle Finestre summit finish, bettering a mark that had belonged to the legendary Chris Froome.

Matxin did not hesitate and put a long-term contract on the table, running through to the end of 2030, a clear vote of confidence, but also a move that inevitably raised the level of expectation surrounding his name.

Torres himself acknowledges that Tour de l’Avenir as a turning point in his career, even if not everything that followed was easy to handle. “To this day, that was also my best performance so far,” he recalls.

“It was the race that gave me the opportunity to make the step up to the WorldTour. Super positive, of course, but maybe also a poisoned gift. From that moment on, I felt a lot of pressure on my shoulders. People made me think I would be a new Tadej Pogacar”, he confessed to wielerflits.

The excitement around his talent quickly turned into a permanent expectation. And, as he admits, living with that constant pressure can be difficult for a rider who is still developing. “If everyone tells me that, then secretly I’m going to want to live up to it. But if you can’t deliver what people expect afterwards, that causes an even bigger setback and bad feelings in your mind.”

The transition to the WorldTour peloton ultimately revealed a harsher reality than anticipated. His first year as a professional was marked by physical setbacks and an inevitable competitive shock. “I had to deal with an injury at the start, followed later by a crash with quite an impact. It wasn’t a dream start. I also had to conclude that the difference in level between the under-23s and the WorldTour is very big. On the other hand, maybe it was an important learning year, in which I immediately got to know the darker side of cycling. But that was also interesting. It’s positive that I learned a lot, but I’m not satisfied with the results. That really has to improve next year.”

That adaptation process became even more demanding because of outside pressure. The narrative that he should win quickly at the highest level does not match the natural rhythm of development many young riders need. “For sure. I think there’s a lot of pressure on young riders. I certainly feel that too. Everyone thinks I’m going to be a good rider, which is their right. But they also think I’m going to turn pro and immediately win my first races. Of course, it doesn’t work like that. Everyone has their own path of growth and career. I need to focus on myself and not listen to what people say. But that’s difficult, because everyone wants me to win.”

At times, that psychological weight had a direct impact on his competitive output. “If I’m honest, yes. I think it makes me perform less. If you don’t win, it doesn’t mean you’re doing badly. But that’s how I sometimes feel. That was frustrating at a certain point. You start to think you’re not good enough. That’s really hard for a young rider. But now I’ve found help within the team and they help me focus on myself.”

Within the UAE Team Emirates - XRG structure, Torres has found important reference points, including World Champion Tadej Pogacar. Although direct contact is not constant, simply observing the Slovenian has been enough to draw valuable lessons. “To be honest, we don’t spend that much time together. We’ve done a training camp together a few times, and last year we raced together once at Tre Valli Varesine. It was a dream to race with him. And it’s also interesting to see how relaxed he is before a race. That helps others relax. If you see that the leader feels good and enjoys it, he passes that on to the rest.”

The race plan for the future is not yet fully defined, precisely because the team believes his competitive ceiling is still to be discovered. “It’s not 100% clear, actually. I’ve never done a Grand Tour. They know I can still improve a lot, but they don’t yet know how much. When I’m in great shape, I have very good numbers. And if I do everything right, I have the right level. It’s just that it’s hard to deal with the pressure. I believe I can still become a very good rider. And the team does too.”

The new season appears as another chapter in that gradual process. Torres feels physically stronger and more comfortable in the peloton, but he is still dealing with some physical issues that are holding back his progress. “I trained well all winter. I already feel stronger in the group and a bit more comfortable in the peloton. This year I can build on last year’s experience, but I’ve been struggling with knee problems since my first races. It went away after resting a bit, but in Oman the problem came back. Now it’s important to rest again and then build up to a good level.”

In terms of goals, the ambition is clear, but matched with realism. “A level where I can take my first professional win. I know it will be difficult, but I train a lot to win. But don’t worry, even if I don’t manage it, I’ll keep trying the year after. Step by step.”

As for the possibility of making his Grand Tour debut, the decision has not yet been made. “It hasn’t been discussed yet. Maybe we’ll wait, but maybe the Vuelta at the end of the year is an option. I won’t push for it, but maybe it’s a possibility. First, it becomes important to be more consistent in the smaller races and to free myself from my problems. Then we can think about the next step.”

For now, Torres’ path continues to be built with patience, somewhere between obvious talent and the need for progressive growth. In a peloton that is increasingly demanding and impatient, the young Spaniard is trying to find his own rhythm, step by step, in a career that is still only just beginning.