If you’re into cycling, the name Tadej Pogacar is familiar. If you’re not, the name may sound foreign; maybe even impossible to pronounce.
So, who is Tadej Pogačar? He is 27 years old and hails from Klanec, Slovenia. He started serious cycling at the age of nine, joining the local Rog Ljubljana club. By 2008, he was already entering races.
There is a story about a young Pogačar told by Andrej Hauptman, a bronze medalist at the 2001 World Championships.
At a children’s race, Hauptman noticed a small boy about 100 meters behind a group of riders. Thinking the boy was struggling to keep up, he told the organizers that someone should help pace him.
“No, it’s not what you think,” the organizer said. “He’s in front. He’s lapped the whole field!”
That little boy was Tadej.
Fast-forward to 2020. At just 21, Pogačar entered the “Wimbledon” of cycling: the Tour de France.
He won it on his first attempt. The following year, he defended his title. And last month, he won Le Tour for a record-equaling fifth time.
I write about Pogačar because, while he is known to every cycling fan, he is not yet a global sports superstar. Ask a casual sports fan about “Pogi,” and you might get a blank stare.
That is remarkable because cycling has its own Grand Slam.
There’s the Giro d’Italia in May, the Tour de France in July and, beginning last Saturday, the Vuelta a España, the Tour of Spain.
What happened on Stage 1 at the Vuelta?
It was the Individual Time Trial (ITT) and there were a host of world-renowned TT specialists, including the British riders Josh Tarling and Ethan Hayter. Wout Van Aert was also riding.
But guess who ended up winning?
Of course, Tadej. He beat Hayter by 0.09 seconds to wear the Red Jersey. (In the Giro, it’s the pink jersey, worn by the leader; in the TdF, it’s yellow; in the Vuelta, it’s red).
GOAT. Spelled in full, it’s the Greatest Of All Time. And in this era of sports, we are blessed to witness multiple GOATs.
Lionel Messi, despite losing in the World Cup final, is considered football’s GOAT. Novak Djokovic, attempting to win his 25th major title in the upcoming US Open, has overtaken Federer and Nadal to be acknowledged as tennis’ GOAT. There’s Tom Brady, Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps... and more.
For cycling, it’s Eddie Merckx. Nicknamed “The Cannibal” because of his aggressive winning style (wanting to win every stage of every race), he amassed a record that many thought would be unattainable.
Until Tadej arrived.
The 5-foot-9, 146-lb. Slovenian has won five Tours de France, the 2025 Giro, 13 one-day Monuments and two World Championships.
Aside from the Paris-Roubaix race that Tadej almost won in April (he lost in a sprint to Van Aert), the only major event that he has yet to win is the Vuelta.
But come Sept. 13, when the Tour of Spain concludes in Granada, one man will be wearing red: “Pogi.”
