From an 81km breakaway victory at Strade Bianche on March 2 to a record-equalling fourth consecutive Il Lombardia triumph on October 12, Tadej Pogačar’s 2024 season has been record-breaking, dominant and virtually unparalleled. He has earned his end-of-season holidays and title as the perfect rider on the earth.
He recurrently distanced his rivals within the peloton and gained 25 races in simply 58 days of competitors. He accomplished the Giro d’Italia-Tour de France double, then added the world title in Zurich to finish biking’s Triple Crown.
Previous to final weekend, Pogačar had already gained Liège-Bastogne-Liège plus 12 Grand Tour phases, the Volta a Catalunya, the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal and the Giro dell’Emilia. Then on Saturday Pogačar beat double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel by 3:16 in Il Lombardia, a profitable margin not seen within the race since Eddy Merckx beat Franco Bitossi by 3:31 in 1971.
La Gazzetta dello Sport has calculated that Pogačar spent 967km on the assault throughout 9959km of racing in 2024. At Strade Bianche he took off with 81km to race. He pulled off a second win at Liège-Bastogne-Liège with 35km alone in entrance. He attacked with 100km to go on the World Championships earlier than driving 51km solo after which rounded off a shocking 12 months of solo attacking 48km from the road at Il Lombardia.
We’re in a far completely different period however the comparisons with Merckx and Coppi collect tempo each time he completes a race.
L’Equipe put Pogačar and Coppi on the duvet of Sunday’s newspaper after his Il Lombardia victory. The day earlier than La Gazzetta dello Sport created the same montage with Merckx included to spotlight a fourth Il Lombardia victory. Pogačar is not akin to his present rivals, solely with the legends of the game from the earlier century.
Pogačar is the primary rider to win the World Championships, two Grand Excursions and two Monuments in the identical season and his 2024 success is being in comparison with Merckx’s unbelievable season when he gained the Giro, Tour, Milan-San Remo, Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Il Lombardia, earlier than travelling to Mexico to interrupt the Hour Document in 1972.
The most recent race content material, interviews, options, evaluations and skilled shopping for guides, direct to your inbox!
Pogačar might by no means equal Merckx’s exploits and palmarès however he’s the Cannibal of 2024 and his technology.
With dominance comes suspicion
“From Strade Bianche to Il Lombardia, he crushed his opposition, working to show his superiority, his distinction from the remaining, the world of distinction that separates them from him,” Alexandre Roos wrote in L’Equipe on Sunday.
“He’s in a race towards historical past to be the perfect however is already out entrance and alone. Round him, there may be now a desert.”
L’Equipe additionally highlights how Pogačar’s dominance sparks suspicion and even boredom.
“That is the character of the reigns of despots,” Roos wrote. “We bear in mind the nice anthology items about Merckx’s profession, not the sensation of exasperation or discouragement that his gluttony provoked.
“Like with the champions earlier than him, there may be what we are able to perceive and what we’re unable to clarify, it is the character of the extraordinary.
“On this gray space nestles doubt. It’s usually wholesome, pure and important, however a part of the beliefs which belong to every of us.”
Pogačar replied to the suspicion on Friday, as a French tv crew adopted him round and quizzed him about his success.
The Slovenian star advised domination is in all places in life but in addition has a begin and an finish, that it’s cyclical. He indicated he wouldn’t take the well being dangers linked to the doping of earlier generations.
“You could have a winner and all the time a winner will get essentially the most eyes on him that he is a cheater. Possibly in just a few generations, folks will neglect in regards to the previous, about Armstrong and these guys, that had been doing what they had been doing, and perhaps they may transfer on,” Pogačar mentioned.
“From my private expertise, I feel biking is without doubt one of the greatest sports activities, the place folks wish to be extra wholesome and less unhealthy, only for the efficiency.”
L’Equipe concluded their evaluation of Pogačar’s historic season with a ultimate, further stage of duty for the Slovenian, one he maybe can by no means escape with an acceleration, nor a surge on the pedals.
“The World Champion is aware of that he has to reply everybody’s doubts. It is the burden on his shoulders in addition to his duty. The worth to pay when one aspires to be the best.”
