“He wins in grand tours, classics, World Championships, and now also the European. If it weren’t for Van der Poel, he would have won literally everything this season,” he notes. Pogacar’s superiority seems to be unwavering.
In a sport where historically specialists dominated certain disciplines – the climbers in the mountains, the sprinters on the flat – he is competitive (and dominant) in each of these terrains. “He’s not the best at any one thing, but he’s in the top three in everything,” claims Zonneveld with a statement that seems to be rather underplaying Pogacar’s greatness.
Tadej Pogacar successfully defended his world champion title in Rwanda
Even his supposed “weakness,” Paris-Roubaix, is relative. “There he faces riders who weigh 15 kilos more than him, which complicates it. But even that is not a real weakness. It’s hardly noticeable,” says the analyst.
What really makes the difference is the impressive physiological basis on which Pogacar builds his performances. “In competitions like that in Rwanda, he barely came close to his threshold, while the others finished exhausted. That control allows him to stay fresh and dominate without wearing himself out,” explains Zonneveld.
Superhuman-level training
Pogacar himself revealed in a previous interview how he trains at paces that, for most, would amount to extreme efforts. Then it’s not as shocking that a 2-hour solo slightly above his threshold is not a problem.
“He does long-distance rides at 4.5 to 5 watts per kilogram, which he doesn’t consider intense training. He can maintain that pace for hours, even a whole day,” Zonneveld relates. “While others are at the limit, he hardly seems to push himself. That’s why he can attack with 75 kilometers to go and maintain the lead with apparent ease.”
Beyond simple fitness, Zonneveld considers Pogacar to be “on another level.” “We are no longer talking about a one-off performance peak, as is often the case with other riders. His consistency, his ability to regulate and his tactical mastery are a sign that he has redefined the threshold of high performance in this sport.”
Pogacar’s season is slowly coming to an end with 18 victories within 48 race days at the moment – an impressive 37.5% win-rate. Pogacar will have the opportunity to round off his season record at 20 with two more competitions this week; the Tre Valli Varesine on Tuesday and finally Il Lombardia on Saturday. There, the world champion can aim for a fifth consecutive title.