"The moment of urgency": Tom Danielson explains the difference between Pogacar and Seixas at Strade Bianche

Former American professional cyclist Tom Danielson recently went on social media to share his thoughts about the 2026 Strade Bianche. While everyone was amazed by Tadej Pogacar's 80-kilometer solo victory, Danielson focused on the technique of the young rider who tried to follow him. He compared Pogacar to 19-year-old Paul Seixas to explain the small details that separate a good rider from a great champion.

When Pogacar made his huge attack on the Monte Sante Marie gravel sector, only one rider could stay with him for a little while. Danielson praised this effort from the young French talent.

"In today's Strade Bianche, we saw another dominant performance by Tadej Pogacar, but we also saw a fantastic ride from 19-year-old Paul Seixas, who was able to follow Tadej the longest during his attack over the Monte Sante Marie."

Danielson calls this critical point in the race the "moment of urgency." He explained that by looking closely at this exact moment, we can see why Pogacar was able to ride away.

"As Seixas looks to close the gap to Tadej over the next years, we can compare the two riders in this decisive moment (what I call the moment of urgency) to see some areas that were possibly part of the separation Tadej was able to get."

The first major difference Danielson noticed was how the two riders used their vision. While Pogacar was looking far ahead, Seixas was looking right in front of his bike.

"The first big thing that stood out to me was how Tadej was focused looking up the road on the climb ahead, while Seixas was looking down more at the road in front of his front wheel."

Danielson explained why this simple detail matters so much on the dangerous gravel roads of Tuscany. "While this sounds like a small difference, I believe looking ahead allows you to choose a better gear, find a better line, stay more relaxed, and possibly go faster as a result."

The next detail Danielson pointed out was the riders' cadence, which is how fast they spin their pedals. Both were pedaling fast, but Pogacar was spinning even faster. "While both riders rode at high cadence, Tadej seemed to be even 10 rpm above Seixas, resulting in even more power delivery for likely a lower torque."

However, spinning the pedals that fast on a loose dirt road is not easy. Danielson noted that this requires a lot of body control. "While this sounds simple, this requires a stronger anchor on the bike through core strength as well as a higher aerobic demand. This also demands more traction on the gravel road, so finding the best line is key."

Lastly, Danielson looked at how the two riders were holding their upper bodies during this maximum effort. Pogacar looked much more open and comfortable, which helps him breathe better.

"Finally, I think it's interesting to compare both upper bodies. Tadej visibly has a more open chest in comparison to Seixas's seemingly more closed-up chest. In addition, Tadej appears to be taking deeper diaphragmatic breaths than Seixas."

According to the former pro, Pogacar's breathing is linked to how he uses his back muscles to stay stable on the bike. "I believe both of these key areas around breathing are due to the way Tadej uses his lats to anchor on the bike to push the pedal stroke."

Even though Seixas is incredibly strong, Danielson believes that fixing these small technical details could help the teenager challenge the world's best rider in the future. "All three points here could possibly make a small difference, but I believe these are simple things that Seixas can work on to come closer to staying with Tadej in the key selection, the moment of urgency."