Renaat Schotte analyzes Tadej Pogacar's dominance at Giro d'Italia: "For example, you saw on the Monte Grappa that he did not have to ride at 100 percent"

What Tadej Pogacar achieved at this Giro d'Italia will go down in the history books whether you like the Slovenian or not. Just to give you an idea, Pogacar's final advantage over second place Daniel Martínez, 9:56, was the largest difference since Vittorio Adorni's victory in 1965.

Sporza's reporter Renaat Schotte does not want to detract from Pogacar's supremacy, but does state that the competition was not great in Italy. "It was what it was. There is an age difference, third Geraint Thomas turned 38. For Daniel Martínez it is a fantastic achievement to finish second in the Giro."

Some people accused Martinez and especially Thomas of being too defensive. Schotte disagrees. "They are not of the caliber of Vingegaard, Evenepoel or Roglic. I would turn it around and say that Pogacar was simply too strong and rides in a different category. It is a matter of intelligence. Every rider knows what he can and cannot do. So I certainly wouldn't accuse the competition of a lack of initiative or willingness to attack."

The lack of competition allowed Pogacar to take it 'relatively easy'. That is in quotes, because Pogi will also have to recover from the three weeks of cycling through Italy, but Schotte also saw that it did not seem that the Slovenian had to go all out to defend his lead.

"For example, you saw on the Monte Grappa that he did not have to ride at 100 percent. He can complete such a stage at 95 percent and those percentages ensure that he has to recover less. This leaves more for the crucial month of July."

"We lack information from the inside. But I have the impression that he has not overused his powers," Schoote reckons. "The differences between the other riders on stage were too great for that."