When Pogačar suffered at the worlds: “How many laps to go?”

Tadej Pogačar suffered his way to a memorable victory at the road worlds. Like many cycling fans suspected, there were moments when he questioned whether he’d gone too early. It had been 37 years since Stephen Roche became the second rider in history, after Eddy Merckx, to win cycling’s Triple Crown — the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France, and the world championship rainbow jersey. But at the 2024 road world championships, Pogačar cemented his place among cycling’s all-time greats. The Slovenian rider launched his attack with 100 km to go, going solo with 50 km remaining to cap off a truly exceptional season.

A perfect end to an incredible season

“It was one of the best races I’ve ever done,” Pogačar said on the Inside the Ring podcast by MyWhoosh. “I was never really sure until the last kilometre. I had started to feel a bit cross-eyed, but I knew that if I had a good gap at the top of the last climb on the final lap, then I could do it. Once I hit 10 km to go, I was more relaxed. There was still a chance they could catch me, but I felt more confident at that point.”

He continued, “Like everybody, I’d watched the under-23 race, the women’s race, every race, just to be prepared. At the start line, everyone was thinking ‘no one wants to do a Jan Christen,'” Pogačar said, referring to the Swiss rider who broke away but was ultimately caught. “He was probably the strongest rider in the race, but his move made everybody scared for the next few days.”

When Pogi was hurting

You could tell Pogačar was definitely feeling it toward the end. With just 16 kilometres to go, the gap was down to only 42 seconds, and Pogačar had seven riders chasing him hard. The battle for the podium began to heat up, with Remco Evenepoel looking vulnerable at times, though he fought back when it mattered. Ben O’Connor seized an opportunity just before the red kite and managed to hold on to his advantage. In the final sprint, Mathieu van der Poel surged past Tom Skujiņš to take third place and complete the podium.

“I was starting to get a little worried with two laps to go,” Pogačar said. “I came to the top of the climb on the penultimate lap, and I asked when the car came next to me, ‘How many laps to go? 1 or 2?’ I was really hoping he’d just say 1, and so yes, that was a relief.”

Pogačar also got a bit of help when he bridged to a large breakaway, with his fellow Slovenian, Jan Tratnik, dropping back to help him catch it, then working in the group.
“Luckily I had Tratnik in the break, but I was thinking, ‘Maybe this move is not perfect. 20 other riders in this move, all of whom could win,'” he said.

Set for life with UAE Emirates

Pogačar is already looking ahead to the future, having recently signed a contract extension with UAE Emirates through 2030, when he will be 32. His salary has been increased to 8 million euros per year, meaning he’ll earn an estimated 50 million euros over the next six years, ensuring his place among cycling’s elite for years to come.

“I’m really looking forward to 2025,” Pogačar said. “We haven’t finalized plans yet, but the main focus will be the Tour, where I know I’ll face Jonas Vingegaard. It’s a strong rivalry, and I expect him to get even stronger. I’ll race Milan-San Remo, some of the Classics, and the worlds.”

Team UAE boss Mauro Gianetti added, “He won’t start early; he needs a break. We’re still considering a Giro or Vuelta double. He truly enjoyed the Giro, appreciating both the atmosphere and fan support. But he won’t do Roubaix—we can’t expect him to be extraordinary in everything.”

Pogačar also addressed the age-old question of what a world champion wears for bibs. He debuted his rainbow kit at the Giro dell’Emilia.

“So far, I’ve raced two races. Emilia was rainy, so I had to go with the black shorts, and in Il Lombardia, luckily the weather was good,” Pogačar said. “In white, only if I’m lean do I look good. Otherwise, white sort of makes you look bigger!”

After the season, Pogačar took a well-earned break with his fellow pro cyclist and partner, Urška Žigart, for a vacation in the Seychelles. But now, he’s gearing up for 2025. While his full schedule hasn’t been revealed, it will be hard to top 2024. Then again, if anyone can, it’s Pogačar.