{"id":591882,"date":"2026-04-09T05:58:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T05:58:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/591882\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T05:58:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T05:58:10","slug":"it-takes-away-all-hope-thats-how-big-the-difference-is-tadej-pogacars-riding-is-beyond-demotivating-says-classics-rival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/591882\/","title":{"rendered":"‘It takes away all hope, that’s how big the difference is’ \u2013 Tadej Poga\u010dar’s riding is beyond demotivating, says Classics rival"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tadej Poga\u010dar<\/a>‘s dominance is so powerful and unswerving that it goes beyond demotivating \u2013 it takes away all hope \u2013 so says Belgian rouleur Oliver Naesen of Decathlon<\/a> CMA CGM.<\/p>\n

He was speaking on the HLN Wielerpodcast<\/a>, alongside former Classics star-turned-gravel racer Greg Van Avermaet, following yet another emphatic solo victory from Poga\u010dar<\/a> at the Tour of Flanders<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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“What Tadej does actually goes a step further than being demotivating,” said Naesen, a former podium finisher at both Milan-San Remo and Gent-Wevelgem (now called In Flanders Fields)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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“Demotivating would be a rider who is very good \u2013 you can\u2019t drop him and he beats you in the sprint,” he elaborated. But Poga\u010dar’s ability “takes away all hope; the difference is simply that big.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Slovenian UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider is so good, he said, that these days even the major Classics specialists like Mathieu van der Poel<\/a> (Alpecin-Premier Tech<\/a>) and Wout van Aert<\/a> (Visma-Lease a Bike) were unable to hold a candle to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe used to sometimes talk about a peloton at two speeds; now there are three,” Naesen said, adding: \u201cHe is a 10-star rider whom even they [Van der Poel<\/a> and Van Aert<\/a>] can\u2019t even dream of keeping up with if the course is a bit tougher.\u201d<\/p>\n

Former Paris-Roubaix champion Van Avermaet<\/a> concurred.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhere does he get his physiological advantage?” Van Avermaet said. “They really need to examine that boy thoroughly to see what makes him put together so well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Van Avermaet qualified his comments by pointing out that Poga\u010dar looked drawn and very tired after his Flanders win, saying: \u201cI could tell by his eyes, which were bright red during the flash interviews, that he had suffered quite a bit, which is not illogical.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Slovenian will be put to the test again this Sunday at Paris-Roubaix<\/a> \u2013 one of the two Monuments that he has specifically targeted this season (the other one being Milan-San Remo, which he has already won<\/a>).<\/p>\n

As one of those on the start list, Naesen will have another chance to experience Poga\u010dar’s unique brand of demotivating skills; but Van der Poel and Van Aert, as well as Mads Pedersen<\/a> (Lidl-Trek<\/a>), will all be there, hoping to prove that Poga\u010dar is, at least sometimes, beatable.<\/p>\n

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\nTadej Poga\u010dar
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\nGreg Van Avermaet
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