The Tadej Pogacar effect - "As a commentator, it’s difficult to make it exciting for the viewers" Sean Kelly says

Tadej Pogacar has been absolutely dominant this year, needless to say the UAE Team Emirates rider has been capturing headlines since March without a miss. The reactions from the cycling fans and his competitors are widely known, but former pro and current Eurosport commentator Sean Kelly also offered his point of view as the man who often commentates Pogacar's most iconic triumphs.

“It’s amazing to see a guy doing those rides. The talent he has got, and the way he can perform in different races as well," Sean Kelly said in an interview with Velo. “He can ride in Tours, can ride in classic races, like a Tour of Flanders, Strade Bianche. He can do it all. As I’ve said many times in the commentary, he is able to do bloody everything. The problem is it’s making the racing a bit boring.”

Kelly is not afraid to say something that is also widely agreed, something which was very much the case in the late Italian Autumn classics where the new World Champion started off as the man to beat and didn't offer the slightest of chances for his rivals: “He was so dominating last year [2023] in a lot of the races, except for the Tour. Attacking 40, 50k from the finish. Now it is going out to 100k. This year he has upped his level quite a lot from the previous years. That is certain.”

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Pogacar faced no competition at the Giro d'Italia, but even at the Tour de France where the level was the highest possible, he captured the yellow jersey with dominant performances in the high mountains. “It’s hard when you’re commentating on it and he just goes away at 40 or 50 kilometers to go. It means there’s no suspense at all in the final of races now. As a commentator, it’s difficult to make it exciting for the viewers,” the Irish legend admits. “Because he’s out there and he’s a minute or a minute and a half ahead, and they’re riding behind, and you can see it’s not going to be closed down". 

Often, the victory for the Slovenian is taken for granted and his rivals don't even attempt to make the catch after the attack, because the difference in level is so high. “Many people have asked me, ‘what do you think of Pogačar, in this race and that race? I say a lot of the races are boring because he’s so bloody good. It would be nice to have tighter competition. When Pogačar is there, it’s over with 40k to go. You can say, ‘they’re going to have to ride for second place and third place here, they’re going to ride for a place on the podium".

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These results are nevertheless still very important for the riders, who will battle for every ounce of success, but ultimately it is hard to escape the notion that in many occasions there is very little tension even in the biggest of races. The final monument of the season, Il Lombardia, was a good example.

“For our viewers, in one way it’s amazing what he’s doing, to watch those performances from Pogačar. But on the other side, you say will people get bored of this? If he continue on doing this, the viewers will say, ‘oh Pogačar again, he’s gone with 40k to go. I’ll go off and cut the grass'," he concluded.

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