Cycling is a sport where comparisons are born left and right, and with Tadej Pogacar setting an historical precedent for a rider of his age, he is the one that most riders are connected to. But many do not want the pressure that comes with connecting the names, even if it is a compatriot. That is the case of Jakob Omrzel, 19-year old rider for Bahrain – Victorious who has enormous potential and is Slovenia’s current national champion.
In a peloton now ruled by the financial and/or logistical leverage of UAE Team Emirates – XRG, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, Lidl-Trek and Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe, it was Bahrain – Victorious who managed to sign Omrzel into their development program in the 2025 season and with a pro contract starting this January all the way into 2029. It is an incredible deal that has revealed its full potential this year.
Omrzel back in June won the under-23 Giro d’Italia ahead of the likes of Luke Tuckwell, Pavel Novak and Jorgen Nordhagen – all World Tour riders next season too. “The main goal was the Giro Next Gen, and we achieved it. Other races went well too, like the national championships, races in Italy, and the Tour of Slovenia and Croatia. When I look back, it was more than a successful season,” Omrzel said to his home news outlet Siol.
7 days after his Giro win, he won the elite national championships in Slovenia, taking the spotlight in the absence of stars such as Tadej Pogacar, Primoz Roglic and new teammate Matej Mohoric. “It’s a special feeling and a big motivation. You know you’re there for a reason. It gives you confidence and pushes you to give your best.”
He also won the GP Capodarco in August but throughout the final months of the season he struggled with inconsistency after his Giro preparation and performance. Something that is not to be unexpected of a rider this age. He had been touted as one of the big favourites for the Tour de l’Avenir (and World Championships) but could only manage 13th and 14th respectively in both.
“Moments of disappointment are the most important in sport. When everything goes well, nothing feels hard. But when it doesn’t, that’s when you learn the most,” he adds. “Tour de l’Avenir came a bit too soon after the Giro. I wasn’t in top shape, but later in the season, things turned around. I felt great at Worlds and even better at the Tour of Croatia.”
He still finished seventh at the Cro Race racing as a leader with the elite team, completing an important season where he’s taken the leap. He thanks his coach Alessio Mattiussi also quite a lot for this, and values staying with the team: “He’s my balance. In moments when I might overthink things, he calms me down and puts everything in perspective.”
Not a fan of the Pogacar comparisons
But for 2026 there is not yet a decisive plan, and it also may not include a Grand Tour. The team can prioritize long-term development, with his contract secured until 2029. “I’m only 20 next year. I don’t think there’s any harm in waiting. If I want a long and quality career, it’s better to focus on one-week races now rather than rushing into Grand Tours. Better to build step by step than to skip one and fall later.”
Lastly he was also asked about the natural comparisons with Tadej Pogacar, to which he responded: “I’d like the world to know me as Jakob Omrzel, not as a copy of someone else. But there’s a lot I can learn from Tadej, from his discipline and his dedication. He’s not the best in the world just because of talent, but because he gives everything to cycling. That’s what I try to follow.”
Omrzel could be cycling’s next big thing. @Imago