Tadej Pogačar News Update

7 min readJul 3, 2024

Tadej Pogačar secured his third Tour de France victory in 2024, completing a historic Giro d’Italia-Tour de France double in the same year.

∘ Tadej Pogačar wins Tour de France 2024
∘ Tadej Pogačar wins Stage 4 on Tour de France 2024
∘ Is Tadej Pogačar inhuman ?
∘ Are Tadej Pogačar speed and performance subject to scrutiny ?
∘ Tadej Pogačar cycling background
∘ Last words

Tadej Pogačar wins Tour de France 2024

The Slovenian rider dominated the race, finishing with an impressive lead of 6 minutes and 17 seconds over his closest rival, Jonas Vingegaard. Pogačar’s performance was exceptional throughout the Tour, winning multiple stages and consistently outperforming his competitors in both the mountains and time trials.

His victory in the final time trial from Monaco to Nice further solidified his dominance, as he beat Vingegaard by 1 minute and 3 seconds in that stage alone.

Pogačar’s success can be attributed to his remarkable consistency and versatility across different terrains. He won a total of six stages in the Tour de France, matching his stage win tally from the Giro d’Italia earlier in the year.

This feat made him the first rider to win six stages in both Grand Tours in the same season. Pogačar’s aggressive racing style and ability to perform at the highest level in both climbing stages and time trials set him apart from his rivals.

Despite facing competition from former champions like Vingegaard and up-and-coming talents like Remco Evenepoel, Pogačar’s superior form and tactical acumen allowed him to control the race and secure his place in cycling history as one of the sport’s most dominant riders.

Tadej Pogačar wins Stage 4 on Tour de France 2024

Tadej Pogačar, the two-time Tour de France champion, won Stage 4 of the 2024 Tour de France on July 2, 2024. The stage was a 139.6-kilometer (86.8-mile) mountain stage from Pinerolo to Valloire. Pogačar attacked on the final climb to Valloire and soloed to victory, finishing 1 minute and 10 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor. This victory put Pogačar back into the yellow jersey as the overall race leader.

Here are some additional details about Pogačar’s victory:

He completed the stage in a time of 3 hours and 40 minutes and 38 seconds.
His average speed was 38.4 kilometers per hour (23.8 miles per hour).
He climbed the final ascent to Valloire at an average speed of 21.7 kilometers per hour (13.5 miles per hour).

Pogačar’s victory was a major statement of intent, and he is now considered to be the favorite to win the 2024 Tour de France. However, the race is still far from over, and there are many other strong riders who could challenge Pogačar in the remaining stages.

Is Tadej Pogačar inhuman ?

While Tadej Pogačar’s cycling achievements are phenomenal, calling him inhuman is a bit of an exaggeration. Here’s a breakdown:

Natural Talent: There’s no doubt Pogačar possesses exceptional talent. He has incredible stamina, climbing prowess, and tactical intelligence.
Dedication and Training: Elite athletes like Pogačar dedicate their lives to training. They follow meticulously designed programs, pushing their bodies to the limit while staying within the realm of human capabilities.
Modern Technology and Equipment: Advanced cycling equipment and training methods undoubtedly contribute to his performance. Lightweight bikes, improved nutrition plans, and data analysis all play a role.
Question of Doping: Doping remains a concern in cycling. While Pogačar has never failed a doping test, suspicions can linger in the sport’s history. However, with stricter regulations and testing, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to cheat the system.

So, Inhuman?

Pogačar’s performance pushes the boundaries of human potential in cycling. However, he achieves this through a combination of natural talent, dedication, and the support of modern technology and training. While doping is always a possibility, increasingly stringent testing makes it less likely.

Here’s a more fitting description:

Cycling Prodigy: Pogačar’s achievements at a young age and continued dominance mark him as a generational talent.
Phenomenal Athlete: His physical prowess, mental focus, and race strategy solidify him as an exceptional athlete.

While not superhuman, Tadej Pogačar is rewriting cycling history and leaving fans in awe with his incredible talent and dedication.

Are Tadej Pogačar speed and performance subject to scrutiny ?

Absolutely, Tadej Pogačar’s speed and performance are subject to a great deal of scrutiny, for a few reasons:

Dominant Performance: Pogačar’s young age and back-to-back Tour de France victories (2020, 2021) were historic feats. Such dominance naturally raises questions, especially considering the sport’s past struggles with doping.
Cycling’s Doping History: Cycling has a long and unfortunate history of doping scandals. This casts a shadow over any athlete’s achievements, no matter how talented.
Physically Demanding Nature of Cycling: Grand Tours like the Tour de France push athletes to their absolute physical limits. Maintaining such a high level of performance throughout a grueling race is what sparks scrutiny.

Here’s how Pogačar’s performance is monitored:

Anti-Doping Tests: Pogačar, like all professional cyclists, undergoes regular in and out-of-competition testing to detect banned substances.
Physiological Data Analysis: Teams and anti-doping agencies analyze riders’ physiological data, like blood work and power output, to look for anomalies that might suggest doping.
Public and Media Scrutiny: Fans and journalists closely follow cycling and analyze performances. Any unusual results or sudden improvements will be questioned and debated.

It’s important to note that Pogačar has never failed a doping test. However, the scrutiny will likely continue as long as he maintains his exceptional performance level. Furthermore, doping technology evolves constantly so we might discover in a few years that Pogacar was benefiting of substances that doped him in a ‘till today’ unknown way. But let’s leave him unitl then the benefit of the doubt !

Additional Points:

Advancements in Training and Equipment: Modern training methods, nutrition plans, and lighter bikes contribute to improved performance, but these advancements don’t explain everything.
The Importance of Clean Sport: Ultimately, everyone wants to see a clean sport where victories are earned through hard work and talent. The scrutiny helps ensure that cycling continues to move in the right direction.

Tadej Pogačar cycling background

Tadej Pogačar has emerged as a dominant force in cycling, particularly known for his impressive performances in Grand Tours, the most prestigious stage races. Here’s a breakdown of his cycling history:

Early Career:

Started cycling at a young age, following his brother to the Rog Ljubljana club at 9.
Caught the eye of coach Andrej Hauptman in 2011, who continues to guide him.

Breakthrough and Grand Tour Success:

In 2019, at the age of 20, became the youngest winner of a UCI World Tour race — the Tour of California.
Debuted spectacularly in a Grand Tour (Vuelta a España) in 2019, finishing 3rd overall and winning the Young Rider classification.
2020 marked his rise to stardom. He won the Tour de France at the young age of 21, becoming the second youngest champion ever, and achieved the feat again in 2021. Notably, he secured both the Polka-Dot Jersey (King of the Mountains) and the White Jersey (Best Young Rider) in both victories.
While narrowly missing the title in 2022 and 2023, he continues to be a strong contender, finishing second in both years.
Most recently, Pogačar conquered the 2024 Giro d’Italia, adding another Grand Tour victory to his name.

Other Victories:

Pogačar isn’t limited to Grand Tours. He has several stage wins across prestigious races like Liège–Bastogne–Liège (2 wins), Strade Bianche (2 wins), Il Lombardia (3 wins), and Tirreno-Adriatico (2 wins), showcasing his versatility.

Last words

Tadej Pogačar, with just a few years in the professional circuit, has established himself as a cycling prodigy. His two Tour de France victories, Giro d’Italia win, podium finishes in Vuelta a España, and numerous stage wins across various races solidify his position as a dominant force in the sport.