"When someone is stronger, all you can do is accept it" - Visma shift focus to upcoming days after heavy blow from Pogacar
Cycling
If anyone thought that Tadej Pogacar showed cracks in his armor in the time trial two days earlier, the Slovenian had a clear response to doubters on Friday. Not even Jonas Vingegaard came close to the world champion as the Visma | Lease a Bike rider lost a full minute on the same climb where he dealt Pogacar a heavy blow in 2023.
"Pogacar was the strongest today. In the end, the time gaps at the finish were significant. Of course, we had hoped Jonas could stay closer on the final climb. This was a stage that really suited Pogacar, and it was clear from the start that Team UAE had a plan today. When someone is stronger, all you can do is accept it and congratulate him on the victory," said Sports director Grischa Niermann in a press release.
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Tomorrow, the riders will take on the queen stage of this year's Criterium du Dauphiné with three special category climbs - Col de la Madeleine, Col de la Froix de Fer and Valmeinier 1800. With nearly 5000 meters of climbing to do, it is a perfect opportunity to completely shake up the overall stadings.
"We’ll give it another try tomorrow. It won’t be easy, but I’m happy with our way of racing and the fighting spirit of the team. We’ll take that into the next stage," Niermann concludes.
At the moment Vingegaard trails Pogacar by 43 seconds in the general classification. Further 11 seconds down is Florian Lipowitz and second leader of Visma, Matteo Jorgenson sits in a fifth place, a minute behind Vingegaard.
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- Roglic could not have won anyway, after Jonas followed him when Roglic decided it was his turn for a stage win. Jonas had already attacked Kuss twice, so it was Jonas who was within seconds of taking the lead before Kuss was 'gifted' the win. It felt a bit like Roglic was being thrown under the bus when the team made his unhappiness public.Hills3314-11-2026
- POG1, another nice doc about our favourite, I watched most of it with a big smile on my face (except for the bits about his crashes 😢 obvs!).Lozza14-11-2026
- Martinez had a good year! 5th at the Tour was a great result for him, albeit largely through getting in successful breaks, but he held it better than Pidcock who’d done the same.Lozza14-11-2026
- guess what Valgren, you're 34, and no you're not good enough. sorry to say.mij14-11-2026
- I'm a sepp fan and like to think he earned that LOL, indulge me : ) I think Jonas was fine. Roglic did not want to concede to Sepp. and I don't think you ever attack your own teammate in the leaders jersey if he is holding his own, which Sepp just about was.mij14-11-2026
- enough time? he's 24 years old. He's won 10 races over the last 2 years and some are significant. I won't argue about his attitude being good - it needs to improve. But with some coaching and mentorship he has a lot of winning ahead of him and has plenty of time to win a GT. I don't think he will ever beat Tadej, but everyone else is fair game Look at Mas and Valverde - they were 31 and 29, respectively, when they won the Vuelta.mij14-11-2026
- Pogacar has a fine head on his shoulders.Careful investments and a couple of coffee shops sounds like a wonderful way to chill after an intense career.Stay healthy GOAT.
Brucegel14-11-2026 - I live in Maribor.PogiSloFans14-11-2026
- I live in Ljubljana and often go on trips in the surrounding area, where I frequently see young cyclists in 'Pogi Team' jerseys training, either alone or in groups. By simply motivating so many young people to take up cycling, Tadej has already achieved something truly significant.Velijo14-11-2026
- That's an excellent point. It's interesting that Vader came to that realization only after he learned that his contract wasn't going to be renewed.
santiagobenites14-11-2026
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