Pogacar leaves Jan Ullrich stunned: “We didn’t have that speed”

Jan Ullrich has heaped praise on Tadej Pogacar after the Slovenian’s latest show of dominance at the Critérium du Dauphiné, describing his sprint win and all around capabilities as “fascinating” and emblematic of how much professional cycling has changed since his own era.

Speaking on his Ulle & Rick podcast, the former Tour de France winner reflected on Pogacar’s recent victory and the evolution of the sport, contrasting it with the racing style and training methods of the late 1990s and early 2000s when he raced.

“Before, we did things without meaning. We added kilometres for the sake of adding them, and that was a mistake,” Ullrich said. “In my time, we could jump to professional level at 24; today, that's too late. Everything has changed.”

Pogacar, 26, is on course for his fourth Tour de France title next month and has already conquered two Monuments this spring, Liège–Bastogne–Liège and the Tour of Flanders, a feat unthinkable for most GC riders in Ullrich’s era. But it was the manner of Pogacar’s sprint win in the Dauphiné that most surprised Ullrich, where he beat Mathieu van der Poel, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel.

“I couldn't believe it, fascinating, that Pogacar won in the sprint surprised me. I would never have thought that. Pantani or I would never have opted to go for the sprint, I never practiced it, we didn't have the speed.”

Ullrich’s comments underline the all-terrain dominance now expected of modern GC leaders, from solo mountain raids to uphill sprints and cobbled classics. Pogacar’s versatility, both in terrain and racing style, has redefined expectations of what a Grand Tour champion should look like.

Ullrich also touched on how today’s racing dynamics are shaped by a far more aggressive peloton and relentless pace-setting. “We didn't have that speed; today, every team pushes hard and far from the finish line. In our time, it was only the interested teams,” he said. “Today's domestiques are powerhouses that go 50 km/h or more. It's attractive to watch, but it's too much for me.”

With his Dauphiné triumph coming a month after his third Liege win, Pogacar’s Tour de France preparations appear right on track. He starts the race on July 5 as the undisputed favourite for another yellow jersey, with not just his rivals, but even past champions struggling to believe what they’re seeing. But can anyone stop him from romping clear again?