Tadej Pogačar‘s dominance is so powerful and unswerving that it goes beyond demotivating – it takes away all hope – so says Belgian rouleur Oliver Naesen of Decathlon CMA CGM.
He was speaking on the HLN Wielerpodcast, alongside former Classics star-turned-gravel racer Greg Van Avermaet, following yet another emphatic solo victory from Pogačar at the Tour of Flanders.
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“Demotivating would be a rider who is very good – you can’t drop him and he beats you in the sprint,” he elaborated. But Pogačar’s ability “takes away all hope; the difference is simply that big.”
“Where does he get his physiological advantage?” Van Avermaet said. “They really need to examine that boy thoroughly to see what makes him put together so well.”
Van Avermaet qualified his comments by pointing out that Pogačar looked drawn and very tired after his Flanders win, saying: “I could tell by his eyes, which were bright red during the flash interviews, that he had suffered quite a bit, which is not illogical.”
The Slovenian will be put to the test again this Sunday at Paris-Roubaix – one of the two Monuments that he has specifically targeted this season (the other one being Milan-San Remo, which he has already won).
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