"We are no longer sure that this is still the case" - Not even Van der Poel and Vingegaard may be competitors to Tadej Pogacar anymore, for L'Equipe
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar has won countless races this season and has done what many thought, until years ago, was rather impossible in modern cycling. His palmarès grew this year further than any pro rider has ever done in the history of the sport and it is argued that maybe even Mathieu van der Poel and Jonas Vingegaard are starting to be too distant from the Slovenian.
"Remco Evenepoel stayed in place, but if Pogacar is there, that's second place. The Belgian did not even try to hold on to the Slovenian's wheel when he attacked. He knew it was in vain, that there was nothing else to gain than to be blown up," L'Équipe wrote on this Sunday's edition. We saw a strong Evenepoel in Italy this Saturday, one who climbed well, made the difference on the descent to his rivals and then held off a strong group of climbers. But he crossed the line over three minutes behind Tadej Pogacar.
It was an expected win however, with the World Champion attacking exactly where everyone already expected him to, but simply having no response to his move. Not only his attack, but the way he continues to grow the gap throughout the final hour of racing is simply too much for his rivals. The French news outlet's commentary is not surprising, since this is how he took several wins this year and more specifically in recent weeks.
"And then the enormous gap with the rest of the world. From the Strade Bianche in early March, the first day of the race and his first success, to Lombardy on Saturday, he crushed his opponents. He began by demonstrating his superiority, his difference from others, the world that separates them from him," they argue.
Even the top riders that stood beside him look distant now when it comes to their ability to win the big races: "Around him now is the desert. We only knew two real opponents of his, Mathieu Van der Poel in the classics and Jonas Vingegaard in the Tour de France, the only ones who could break his back. But we are no longer sure that this is still the case, even if we cannot wait to see how the Dane will rebuild himself with a view to July."
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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Master-Dirk14-10-20243
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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IL MAESTRO! 🥳 @TamauPogi takes his fourth @Il_Lombardia in a row, combined with his 25th win of the season! 🎉 Unstoppable. 😮💨 #IlLombardia2024
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