"The only rider in the world who can win all races" – Former teammate sheds new light on how good Tadej Pogacar is

Wieler Revue recently caught up with Matteo Trentin to discuss his relationship with Tadej Pogacar. The pair were teammates at UAE Team Emirates until Trentin made the switch to Tudor Pro Cycling Team last year, and Trentin gave some insights into how the world’s best rider trains.

The 35-year-old Italian, a stage winner in all three Grand Tours (including three victories at the Tour de France) shared his experiences training with the Slovenian superstar.

"Do I like training with him? Well, only when I'm in really good shape, haha. No, it's always fun with him. He doesn't surprise me during training anymore, you know. He used to, but now I know how good he is. A nice anecdote? Well, usually I get dropped on a climb and that's where my story ends, haha."

Trentin has witnessed firsthand Pogacar's relentless dedication, acknowledging the questions often raised about his incredible performances.

"All I can say is that he is really that good. I often get questions like: is it possible what he does, or is he really that good? During training he does the same as in the race. You sometimes saw champions from the past take it easier in training, but not Tadej. He is very professional and as strong as he rides in the race, he is also in training."

Now at Tudor Pro Cycling Team, Trentin is set to race alongside new signings Julian Alaphilippe and Marc Hirschi, with ambitions of challenging Pogacar in the spring classics. That will be no easy task, given that Pogacar secured the prestigious triple crown last season, and also won at Strade Bianche, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and Il Lombardia.

"You know, Tadej is Tadej. We haven’t seen a rider like him in the last 50 years, and we probably won’t see a rider like him in the next 50 years."

Pogacar's all-around abilities set him apart from the rest of the peloton, with Trentin believing that no other rider possesses the same versatility.

"He is the only rider in the world who can win all races. The first after the Eddy Merckx era. An important strength of Tadej is that he works very hard on his 'weak points'. Do I see similarities between someone like Tadej and Julian or Marc? I think Julian is in a way a bit more relaxed."

While Alaphilippe and Hirschi are both highly talented, Trentin sees a clear distinction in their approaches compared to Pogacar’s all-encompassing dedication.

"He doesn't have to win time trials and that's why he works less on them. Tadej has to be good at everything, because he wants to win Grand Tours. Marc is a bit in between in that respect, because he focuses more on riding classifications than Julian."