Pogacar explains his extraordinary reign in cycling.

Halting due to natural forces.

2024 May 12 . 3:05 PM

2 min read

Tadej Pogacar also won the 8th stage of the Giro d'Italia from Spoleto to Prati di Tivo.

Pogacar explains his extraordinary reign in cycling.

During the Giro d'Italia, Tadej Pogacar's blocked nose offers a glimmer of hope for more thrilling moments. This esteemed Slovene cyclist surpasses the opposition with such vast superiority that he feels the need to defend his triumphs.

Pogacar further shared a minor vulnerability by telling us about his blocked nose following his third stage victory. "Perhaps it's an allergy," he remarked. "It's frustrating, but I can cope with it," said the Slovene. This implies that the only thing potentially impeding his first Giro d'Italia triumph is nature. There's no question about this after the initial three weeks, as his competitors are clearly not a threat.

On Saturday, at the second mountain finish, Pogacar held back from inflicting further humiliation on his rivals. He neutralized all attacks en route to the holiday resort of Prati di Tivo while sitting and then accelerated away from everyone 250 meters before the end. The gaps remained within a few seconds. Even so, the number two overall, Colombian Daniel Martinez from the German team Bora-hansgrohe, is lagging by almost three minutes.

The magnitude of Pogacar's superiority prompted him to defend his achievements. "I'm certain I'm genuinely getting under some people's skin," the 25-year-old divulged. "But I'm riding for the team that pays me and my teammates who are putting their all into this," he explained. They aspire to display their strength at this event.

Exorbitant entry cost for Pogacar

However, the Giro organizers have inadvertently engendered a sense of monotony. It's been reported that Pogacar's UAE team, and ultimately the cycling star himself, paid a substantial registration fee for his premiere in the world's second-largest tour. Additionally, the route was made significantly less challenging compared to previous years, reducing elevation gain by approximately 20%.

Such adjustments can be perceived as a gesture tailored to Pogacar. With this, he can emerge from the Giro in better condition and have a better chance of winning the Tour de France later on. The last time there was a double victory of Giro and Tour was in 1998 when Italy's revered cycling legend, Marco Pantani, accomplished this feat. "I'm still very far from the double. I'm aware that many have attempted and failed," Pogacar admitted.

He tried to exalt his competition as well. "I think they'll regain some confidence and we'll witness some fantastic showdowns in the forthcoming mountain stages," said Pogacar. Ironically, nature serves as his most formidable opposition. This doesn't refer to his potential allergy. The Giro has a reputation for experiencing particularly poor weather conditions, which can mentally drain a rider. Nevertheless, Pogacar is well-accustomed to harsh conditions.