"What he's doing isn't normal" - Tadej Pogacar named rider of the year by Jose De Cauwer

With the 2023 road cycling having reached its end, many people are recapping the events of the year ahead of the traditional end-of-season awards. For Jose De Cauwer, the choice for Rider of the Year is an obvious one.

"Tadej Pogacar," both he and Sep Vanmarcke resoundingly announce in unison as part of Sporza's end-of-season analysis. "We really shouldn't take this for granted or normal," De Cauwer goes on to explain. "What he's doing isn't normal, right."

Despite having missed out on the Maillot Jaune at the Tour de France again to Jonas Vingegaard, Pogacar more than made up for that disappointment with other victories. "For me, that was the Tour of Flanders, where the top riders really fought man to man. It was a very impressive race. Especially because Pogacar outpaced everything and everyone, including Van Aert and Van der Poel," De Cauwer says of the Slovenian's yearly highlight.

"He dominated the spring, left his mark on the Tour again - without winning this time , rode a fantastic World Cup and concluded with a victory in Lombardy," Vanmarcke adds. "It remains impressive how he always manages to do it mentally. He is still young but has already written so much to his list of achievements. And yet there is not a hint of saturation in him. On the contrary. He brings the race to life everywhere."