13/10/2024

"Pogacar has made such a leap forward that he is almost untouchable now" - Danish ex-pro estimates even Jonas Vingegaard will struggle to catch up to Tadej Pogacar

Except a few rare occasions when Tadej Pogacar perhaps underestimated his opponents, the Slovenian rode a perfect 2024 season. Winning with 50km solos had become his daily routine and so was the scenario at the last monument of this season - Il Lombardia. Pretty much a formality for the new world champion who took his 4th title and equalled the legendary Alfredo Binda.

While impressive, the experts are gradually beginning to lose interest in such overwhelming dominance:

"It was a bit like watching a penalty without a goalkeeper, where you just waited to see which corner Messi would kick it," Michael Rasmussen told Ekstra Bladet. "Nobody tried to ride away. They were already fighting, while Pavel Sivakov led the group." The Frenchman himself finished sixth.

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The dominance of UAE Team Emirates is as important to Pogacar's success as the Slovenian himself, says the 2005 and 2006 Tour de France mountain jersey winner. "After all, they are completely up against the superior power. If Pogacar is at the start with a team consisting of Majka, Sivakov and Hirschi, then the rest are already powerless."

Jonas Vingegaard

Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) is one of them, Rasmussen thinks. The team of Danish two-time Tour winner is perhaps the only one who can compete with the overwhelming power in the deposit of UAE Team Emirates. The Dane ended the season early to welcome his second child, but also to already prepare for the 2025 season. Hopefully better than this year's which was hampered by terrifying crash in Itzulia.

Rasmussen suggests Vingegaard will still need to step up his best form to be able to catch the Slovenian whom he defeated at the Tour back-to-back in 2022 and 2023. "With the step he has taken now, in a sport where only marginal improvements can be seen, he has increased his lead so much that he is almost untouchable. At least over this season."