Pogacar beaten! All-conquering world champion handed rare defeat by 40-year-old British amateur in charity event: “I tried to catch everyone, but I couldn’t”

Tadej Pogacar has been virtually untouchable all season in 2025, but on Sunday afternoon, even the world champion couldn’t overhaul a flying British amateur on his home climb of Krvavec.

In front of thousands of adoring fans lining the road in support, 40-year-old British hill climb specialist Andrew Feather claimed a stunning win at Pogacar’s end-of-season charity ride, holding off the Slovenian to the summit.

Feather covered the steep ascent in 44:15.3 to take victory in the inaugural S Klanca v klanc Challenge. Pogacar, who started a few minutes behind the peloton, produced the day’s fastest climbing time at 40:44.5 but could only chase down 1,188 of the 1,189 participants. “There were so many people on the roadside — it was phenomenal,” Pogacar said afterwards on the Tour 202 podcast. “I tried to catch everyone, but I couldn’t. Hats off to the winner.”

The event, held just 24 hours after Pogacar’s fifth straight victory at Il Lombardia, attracted 1,189 riders — the same number as the metres of elevation gained between Komenda and Krvavec. Around 40% of the field came from abroad, representing 36 countries, for the chance to test themselves against the world’s best.

The format was simple: mass start from Pogacar’s home village, with the world champion setting off several minutes later in pursuit. It was a familiar climb for the 27-year-old — Krvavec is where he claimed his first ever win as a youngster and remains a regular feature of his training when back in Slovenia. But on this occasion, even his blistering pace couldn’t reel in Feather, a multiple winner on Britain’s hill climb scene.

“Our team’s already quite full,” Pogacar laughed when co-host Igor Tominec joked that UAE Team Emirates - XRG might try to sign the Brit. “But guys who climb that fast could definitely be useful in races. Everyone has their own path — maybe he doesn’t even want to be a pro. I’ve got huge respect for riders like that.”

Reflecting on the season in the podcast, Pogacar admitted his fondest win remains last year’s triumph in UCI Road World Championships in Zurich:

“We were just talking about it yesterday on the way back from Lombardy. Last year’s Worlds is still my best race. It’s hard to single out one moment, but that first world title wasn’t expected the way this year’s was. The atmosphere on the roadside was incredible. I really had to prove myself, and at the finish I was completely broken. I’ll never forget how exhausted I was after Zurich.”

The 27-year-old Slovenian star capped off a dream 2025 season with his fifth consecutive victory at Il Lombardia, becoming the first rider in history to win any of cycling’s five Monuments five years in a row.

This season, he became the first rider ever to finish on the podium at all five Monuments in a single year – third at Milano–Sanremo, victorious at the Tour of Flanders, second at Paris–Roubaix, and winner of both Liege–Bastogne–Liege and Il Lombardia.

His dominance stretched across the entire calendar: he defended his world title, won the Tour de France for a fourth time, added a European title, triumphed at the aforementioned Monuments of Flanders, Liege and Lombardy, and also won the Strade Bianche and La Fleche Wallonne. He also passed the milestone of 100 career victories.

It was fitting, then, that he ended the year not with a press conference or parade, but on his bike at home – smiling, waving to fans, and being chased up his childhood climb.