'The next Tadej Pogacar' dreams of following his hero's example: "His life is structured around cycling: diet, rest, training… He does everything at 100%"

Jakob Omrzel says he’s not interested in being called “the next Pogacar”. But he’s absolutely interested in living like Pogacar. The 19-year-old Slovenian, who will step up to Bahrain - Victorious’ WorldTour squad in 2026 after a breakout 2025 campaign, told Siol that the world’s best rider is the reference point not just for winning, but for everyday discipline.

“Tadej isn’t the best in the world only because he is an incredible talent,” Omrzel told Siol. “He dedicates all his time to cycling. I think I can learn a lot from that and try to follow his example. Even in his free time he likes to ride – everything in his life is structured around cycling: diet, rest, training… He does everything at 100%. That’s why he is the best rider in the world.”

For Omrzel, this is not just fan talk. It’s the blueprint.

Omrzel is not easing his way into the top level – he has forced it open. The Slovenian talent won the Giro Next Gen overall in 2025, then backed it up with the elite national road title and the best young rider jerseys at both the Tour of Slovenia and the CRO Race. He raced those events as a teenager and left with confirmation that he can already live in GC company over a week of racing against pros.

“The main goal of the season was the Giro Next Gen, and we achieved that with overall victory – that was the biggest race for us,” he explained. “Other events went very well too, from the national championships to the Italian races, as well as the Tours of Slovenia and Croatia, where I won the white jerseys. Looking back, I can say the season has been more than successful.”

Bahrain Victorious clearly agreed. The original plan had been another season in the development setup. That plan is now gone. “We discussed it with the team – the sports directors, managers and staff – and based on the results we all agreed the only logical step was for me to move to the WorldTour,” Omrzel revealed. “From the start I said Bahrain Victorious suits me perfectly. It’s a home environment, with home people.”

That “home people” part matters to him more than most 19-year-olds would admit publicly. He’ll reunite with long-time friend Zak Erzen, the rider he grew up with at Adria Mobil, and even points out that his brother drives the team bus.

“Zak and I are great friends – we’re practically together every day – and the fact that we’ll now be teammates is fantastic,” he said. “Our team mechanic Aljaz Zefran is also a good friend, and my brother Aljaz drives the team bus, so we’re all together. It helps a lot to have that supportive environment around you when things get stressful.”

He’ll also line up in 2026 wearing the jersey that puts a target on your back in Slovenia: the tricolour of the national champion. “Wearing the national champion’s jersey gives you a special feeling and extra motivation. You know you’re competitive, that you’ve earned your place. It’s an incredible feeling.”

What Bahrain have not done – and what Omrzel himself is clearly resisting – is throw him straight at a three-week race.

In modern cycling, teenagers winning stage races are immediately spoken about in Grand Tour terms. Omrzel is deliberately not doing that. “I’ll only be 20 next year, and if we look at the natural steps of development, it’s too early for something like that,” he said. “If I want to have a high-quality career that also lasts a long time, there’s no harm in waiting a bit longer. It’s better to focus on week-long races than to rush into three-week ones.”

He isn’t thinking about a Vuelta wildcard. He’s thinking about one-week stage racing – Tirreno–Adriatico, Catalunya, the Tour of the Alps, Slovenia, Croatia. Races where a rider learns to carry responsibility and absorb WorldTour rhythm without being broken by it.

“The team understands that I’m still young, and riding a Grand Tour at this stage wouldn’t make sense,” he added. “If I express a desire to ride a particular race, they’ll consider it, and they’ll also respect it if I say I don’t feel ready for something. It’s really important to listen to your body, and our team understands that – they don’t push you beyond your limits.”

That last line is telling. Omrzel knows he’s already being talked about as the next big Slovenian GC project, but he’s also aware what can go wrong in a rush. He’s lived it already. When he talks about “the hardest race of the season,” he doesn’t pick the Giro Next Gen or Slovenia. He picks Valle d’Aosta – and a day no young rider should have to see.

“That was the main factor – something that completely breaks you,” he said of the death of 19-year-old Samuele Privitera during the race. “Not necessarily physically, but mentally above all. I learned a huge amount from that experience – about how my body reacted, and how I processed what was happening. If I had to choose, I’d say it was the hardest race of the season.”

For all the headlines – Baby Giro, national champion, early WorldTour promotion – the way Omrzel talks about status in the bunch is still very simple.

He says older riders definitely know who he is now, and yes, they test him. “They know,” he laughed. “When we hit the climbs I’m always there, and they know I’m competitive. Of course they test the limits a bit because I’m young – they like to prod me a little. But in the end, the legs always show who belongs where.”

He’s already being handed leadership too. “This was my first year in that role, and it took some getting used to,” he said. “But when you connect with the guys, when the atmosphere and energy in the team are good and everyone gets along, then it’s not difficult at all.”

And he’s still happy to ride as a helper when asked – a quality that matters in a WorldTour environment where young leaders can arrive loud and entitled. “At the Tours of Slovenia and Croatia I said straight away that I was happy to help others,” Omrzel added. “I know it can sometimes be difficult for older riders when someone younger joins, gives instructions, or maybe rides slightly better, but I think I handle such situations well – and I also know I still have a lot to learn.”

Perhaps the most striking thing about Omrzel is how little of his self-belief sounds performative. When he talks about form dips, he doesn’t spin them. “I think the moments of disappointment are the most important in sport,” he said. “When everything is going perfectly, nothing feels difficult. But in crisis moments, when you have to fight through it, that’s where you learn and grow the most.”

He said he simply wasn’t at the right point in the form cycle after the Giro Next Gen. “It’s very hard in one season to hit top shape twice,” he explained. “l’Avenir came a bit too soon after the Giro. I didn’t feel great. I had to rebuild.”

Then, quietly, he did. Things “clicked” again at the World Championships and carried into Croatia – exactly the pattern Bahrain Victorious wanted to see from a future GC leader.

There are two clear storylines around Jakob Omrzel now. The first is projection: a 19-year-old Slovenian climber, Baby Giro winner, national champion, soon to wear Bahrain Victorious colours at WorldTour level. You don’t have to work hard to find people using the phrase “the next Tadej Pogacar.”

The second is intention: he isn’t in a hurry, but he isn’t casual either. He’s already talking like a rider who thinks in multi-year arcs, not just in podium photos. “If I want to have a high-quality career that also lasts a long time, there’s no harm in waiting a bit longer,” he said. “It’s better to focus on week-long races than to rush into three-week ones.”

And for all the talk of patience, there’s one obvious ambition: to do what Pogacar does – not just on the bike, but in life. “Tadej isn’t the best in the world only because he is an incredible talent,” Omrzel said. “He dedicates all his time to cycling… Everything in his life is structured around cycling: diet, rest, training. He does everything at 100%. That’s why he is the best rider in the world.”