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Inconceivable! Tadej Pogačar won his Giro d’Italia stage without a bike computer

The Slovenian crashed and had to switch bikes, but went on to take the victory and pink jersey

Inconceivable! Tadej Pogačar won Stage 2 without a bike computer Photo by: Sirotti
May 6, 2024
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Tadej Pogačar took his first win at the Giro d’Italia, and (gasp!) he did it without a bike computer. The 25-year-old rider overcame a mechanical problem during the final climb to make his mark on the Corsa Rosa. Despite suffering a puncture about 11 km from the summit finish, the two-time Tour de France champion quickly switched bikes and powered to victory. Pogačar seized the overall lead from Jhonatan Narváez, finishing 27 seconds ahead of Daniel Martinez and Geraint Thomas.

Pogačar currently holds a 45-second lead over Thomas in second place and Dani Martinez in third. The stage featured two preliminary Cat. 3 climbs before ascending to Santuario di Oropa, the Giro’s first Cat. 1 climb, with 12 km remaining.

“I was quite calm,” Pogacar said after the race. “I was confused a little, then I crashed, but it was nothing serious. The team was super good today. They brought me back to the front, then we set a pace that we liked and it was perfect. Now I can relax a little bit for the next few days and we can stay safe in the sprints.”

Although this wasn’t on purpose to leave his head unit off, there have been times in the past when Pogi has opted not to use one, or a heart-rate montior or power meter. At the 2020 Tour de France, where he won the Stage 20 time trial up La Planche des Belles Filles, the Slovenian sensation chose to forgo a cycling computer, relying solely on “feel” for the 5.9-km climb. Despite having a bike change 200 m into the ascent, Pogačar still smashed the previous record set by Fabio Aru in 2017, completing the climb two seconds faster.

On Sunday’s stage of the Giro, UAE Emirates took charge at the front. By the time there were 5 km to climb, only twenty-two riders remained in the group.

Pogačar attacked with 4.4 km to go. Rivals slowly dropped like flies. First Narváez, then Thomas, and then Ben O’Connor.

Fans lined the climb and cheered for the Slovenian ace as he flew up Oropa. O’Connor, Thomas and Cian Uijtdebroeks were his closest chasers. This group grew and then the riders started sparring. O’Connor faded.

Dani Martinez finished as the runner-up, with Thomas in third place, trailing the new race leader by 27 seconds. Monday’s course, even with its few lumps, should favour the fast men.