"Pogacar was not, absolutely not at all, in danger" - Mart Smeets on Kigali worlds domination
Cycling
The 2025 World Championships are officially over but Tadej Pogacar's performance sent more shockwaves throughout the cycling world. Despite having achieved his first rainbow jersey in similar fashion 12 months ago, his ride in Kigali was nothing short of impressive and potentially even within his limit according to some.
"I thought the winner's entry was understated, beautiful, and simple. The way he was dressed so subdued, beautifully, and simply. He rode without a watch. There was no ring, no chain, no bling to be seen. Here, everything was purely for that man," Mart Smeets said in De Kopgroep podcast.
"He spread his wings like an eagle, and that was it." Pogacar's victory was quite similar to that of Zurich, with an attack over 100 kilometers from the finish line, and then going solo from a very long way out as the riders who followed him didn't have the legs to do it any further after a few kilometers. This led to an hour-and-a-half long solo ride through the roads of the Rwandan capital to successfully defend his world title.
"It was a very pure and pristine victory, the likes of which we've rarely seen in our lives. The man was in control of everything. He rode 66 kilometers solo, simply spreading his arms wide. And not making a show of it. To show the sports world: that's how you do sports."
Remco Evenepoel out of range for rainbow jersey
Pogacar's ride was unmatchable, despite Remco Evenepoel also putting out a staggering performance - hindered by bike issues, although it's not clear how many were in actual need of fix.
Smeets believes that the Belgian struggled psychologically during the race. "There was another tiny hand. The fact that he then crumpled like a sack of salt and literally didn't know where the North Pole was was so telling".
"The man had achieved a historic victory in the time trial a week earlier. In the road race, they really put him in his place. Pogacar was not, absolutely not at all, in danger."
Could we have a repeat however at the upcoming European Championships road race? The two will go face-to-face once again in a very difficult circuit but this time around they will be joined by the likes of Jonas Vingegaard and João Almeida who come in with a very different preparation.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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