"Pogacar really wasn't at his limit at all" - Did Tadej Pogacar 'play' with the competition in Rwanda?

Tadej Pogacar's victory in Kigali this weekend saw him carry over a minute of advantage over Remco Evenepoel, his closest competitor. However, the winning difference was made with over 100 kilometers, and it never seemed likely that the Belgian would be able to close the gap. The commentary over the showdown between World and Olympic champion continues, but not everyone argues that Pogacar was at his very limit to net his second consecutive world title.

"Pogacar really wasn't at his limit at all, even though he was riding alone the whole time. I watched in amazement." Jan Hermsen argued in the Kop over Kop podcast. "He plays with the riders' overconfidence. He makes them think they can catch him and then lets them back up a bit."

He argues this mostly based on the time laps over the final circuit in Kigali, which Pogacar consistently rode faster and faster as the race progressed. He believes this was a purposeful maneuver to mentally crack his opponents, specially Remco Evenepoel who is a time-trial specialist as is very well adapted to this sort of effort.

"It's like he senses people coming back and then he gives them a little hope. The moment they get high, he accelerates again," Jan Hermsen said. "I think he understands the race so well and knows what the other riders are capable of. He really plays with them."

Bobbie Traksel believes the Slovenian won almost solely based on the fact that he had superior power. "It's clear that Pogacar has learned a lot in recent years. At first, he would blast off and go all out. Now Pogacar knows that if he has a gap, he has to ride with his wattage, like Vingegaard does".

However it's hard to argue that anyone on the day would've had the legs to challenge the Slovenian, even with Remco Evenepoel's issues with the bikes. Pogacar rode the last almost 70 kilometers by himself, whilst Evenepoel always had company and collaboration with other riders until the final 20 kilometers. Had Pogacar not broken away from the peloton earlier, he would've likely had the legs to make the difference at any later point in the race.

"We know Del Toro is a fantastic rider, and then you see Pogacar waiting for him and taking him along, as if it were a charity," Jeroen Vanbelleghem argued, making it clear that he truly did believe the Slovenian was riding within himself even when creating the race-winning difference. 

"That shows how much stronger he is than the other world-class riders. Pogacar rode twenty kilometers on reserve".