Tadej Pogacar beaten by amateur cyclist - How Tour de France champion failed to win his own 'Pogi Challenge' for second year in a row
CyclingSunday, 02 August 2026 at 13:01
For the second year in a row, Tadej Pogacar has failed to get the win in the showpiece of his own event: The Pogi Challenge. The special challenge pits amateurs against the Tour de France champion on his favourite climb in Slovenia.
As part of his post-Tour celebrations, the Slovenian returned to his hometown of Komeda and rode the main attraction on the third day of his Pogi Challenge event on Sunday.
The world champion took on 1,189 cycling enthusiasts on the Krvavec climb, which includes 12 kilometers at an average of 8.1%. Of course, if the UAE Team Emirates - XRG rider started alongside the participants, it would leave them with little to no chance of keeping pace - that's where it gets interesting.
Participants are given a head-start, before Pogacar is released upon its slopes a few minutes later. The hunt then begins as he hunts down every participant. However, he didn't have it all his own way - managing to finish in eighth place as German amateur Frederik Niessen reached the top first.
German amateur cyclist and six others beat Pogacar
It's not the first time Pogacar failed in his quest to go from last to first. In 2025, British amateur and climbing specialist Andrew Feather managed to keep Pogacar at bay and crest the climb first.
"At the foot it was a bit of chaos, with even a crash, but after that I kept riding well and suffered," Pogacar told the local media after the challenge.
The climb is Pogacar's favourite for a reason. He took his first-ever cycling victory on its slopes in 2009 many years before he would take the cycling world by storm and become a record-equalling Tour de France winner.
Before the race, Pogacar was in great spirits as he enjoyed his pot-Tour homecoming, joking that he hoped to conquer the climb as quickly as possible.
Pogacar in great spirits ahead of Vuelta decision
"Thanks for coming. Finally, we can race together," he addressed fans and participants beforehand. He added: "And yes, I hope that climb is over quickly."
Meanwhile, UAE and Pogacar are expected to confirm his plans for the final part of the season in the coming days. With extensive speculation linking him to a participation at the 2026 Vuelta a Espana, he finds himself with a decision to make.
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Due to the race ending in close proximity to the Montreal World Championships, a major goal for him in his bid to secure a third World Championships in a row, he and his team will evaluate if a participation in the Grand Tour is feasible.
Pogacar rode his first Grand Tour in 2019 at the Vuelta, but has not returned since. After securing a Giro d'Italia in 2024, a win in Spain would make him a treble Grand Tour winner.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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- Time is up for Ineos......
Senna196002-08-2026 - Guy could easily have been a top-end pro!
leedorney02-08-2026 - Yeah, his climbing performances are around the same level as Florian Lipowitz in an MTT... of course endurance is a different matter
Rafionain-Glas02-08-2026 - Andrew Feather is far from someone for anyone to hang with on rilly good hard climbs. Put his name and GCN on YouTube in a search "GCN Andrew Feather" and look at what this guy is capable of. It is insane.md197502-08-2026
- Please pay some respect to the man, it's Pogačar with a č.cgmethod02-08-2026
- Imagine riding past 1 million people over 3 weeks totally spent and explaining yourself 21 days in a row for press and then Wham...your alone in a room with no one.Psychological whiplash.Only a supremely balanced grounded human being can stay clear and true in that world.Lucky for us that human being is Tadej Pogacar Greatest of All Time.
Brucegel02-08-2026 - All together now:... 1 2 3: Pogi... The GOAT !!!PogiSloFans02-08-2026
- I'd like this doping topic to be dropped until someone is busted. These articles slyly infer Pog is doping but just hasn't been caught yet. Btw, I think he's clean.Santiago02-08-2026
- I'd like this doping topic to be dropped until someone is busted. These articles slyly infer Pog is doping but just hasn't been caught yet. Btw, I think he's clean.Santiago02-08-2026
- Thats just amateurish, you go back for water and food, you send your teammate for thatabstractengineer02-08-2026
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