"The 90s was the era of super fuel. That has been replaced by altitude training" - Tadej Pogacar's record breaking Tour de France numbers not concerning insists Serge Pauwels

It is no exaggeration to say that on stage 15 of the 2024 Tour de France, Tadej Pogacar put in one of the greatest climbing performances of all time, destroying Jonas Vingegaard and building up a massive general classification advantage en route to another stage win.

Obliterating the previous climbing record of the Plateau de Beille, set by Marco Pantani, Pogacar ascended the brutally steep slopes at the quite incredible time of just 39:44, nearly four minutes quicker than Pantani's record. Given Pantani's questionable past in regards to his use of performance enhancing drugs, this has led some to question how Pogacar can be so much better whilst clean. In response, ex pro turned Sporza analyst Serge Pauwels has come up with an explanation.

"He pedaled 6.8 or 6.9 watts per kilogram. Without a doubt, it is one of the toughest climbs ever in a race. It is a world-class performance," begins Pauwels on the Sporza Tour podcast post-stage before he looks to explain the circumstances surrounding Pogacar's climb, in comparison to Pantani's.

"Back then, Pantani mainly rode alone, which meant he had little shelter. Today, Pogacar gets the lead-out of his life. First Matteo Jorgenson rides full on from the foot. Then Vingegaard, the second best rider in the world, keeps riding at a high pace. Then Pogacar adds his best fifteen minutes. All conditions were good to ride a fast time," Pauwels explains. "The 90s, that was the era of super fuel. That has been replaced by altitude training."

Another notable factor is the difference in equipment over the last quarter of a century. "Back then a bike weighed 8 kilograms, now it's all of 6.8 kilograms. That's the minimum weight," says Pauwels. "And they're now digesting 120 carbs an hour. Back then they weren't even thinking about it, maybe only 50 or 60 carbs an hour."