"You have to ask permission from these riders to win" - Iván García Cortina is a little resigned against the cycling's 'Big-6'
Cycling
Iván García Cortina may consider himself somewhat lucky and unlucky at the same time. The Spaniard was thought to be one of the leaders of the upcoming generation at Classics, but he, just like many others, was steamrolled by the impact of the so-called Big-6 (Pogacar, Vingegaard, Evenepoel, MvdP, Wout Van Aert and Roglic) who shook the cycling world with their alien-like dominance in nearly all areas of the sport.
"Cycling has changed," the 28-year-old told Marca. "In the last four years the change has been brutal. For the spectators it's wonderful, for us who are there racing not so much. They, the Big-6, go to the races with great hunger. And they don't fail. It's not normal. It seems easy, but it's not. And all six are together in the same historical period!"
"When Pogacar started at the Volta, no one could follow him," continued Cortina. "He opens the throttle and that's it, bye. That's how it is. You more or less have to ask permission from these riders to win, because they win almost whenever they want. The reality is that, when they aim for something, they don't make mistakes."
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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- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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