Tadej Pogačar tells peloton of his weaknesses: 'They shouldn’t be scared of me'

Tadej Pogačar has revealed the ways in which riders in the peloton can beat him in 2022, claiming that they shouldn't be afraid he'll dominate once again.

The 23-year-old is seemingly unbeatable as he heads into next season, after three Tour de France stage wins helped him retain the yellow jersey in 2021, a year in which he also secured two Monument victories. 

However, the Slovenian offered his rivals encouragement while speaking on Geraint Thomas’ Cycling Club podcast (opens in new tab), even going as far as to highlight his own weaknesses. 

Pogačar said: "They shouldn’t be scared of me, for sure. That's the first thing, because I can crack really fast, actually.

"I do a good power on the not so long climbs, but sometimes the longer climbs are worse for me, and the high altitude - I think that’s what they already figured out.

"For sure, if It happens that I have a not-so-strong team, with long-range attacks, that makes it for us more difficult. And trying to go aggressive from the long way, with multiple riders, like Ineos has a lot of leaders, so they can try a lot of things, in a different way. I think there can be a lot of things that can crack me, or anybody else. It’s not that complicated."

Pogačar has thoroughly impressed since joining UAE Team Emirates in 2019, and will attempt to win the Tour three times in a row in 2022. But while he tells Thomas, a potential yellow jersey rival, how to beat him, the Briton concludes that it is much easier said than done. 

Geraint Thomas made clear that Pogačar's form in the last couple of seasons has been indomitable, admitting that he and his Ineos Grenadiers team have to employ cleverer tactics to challenge the two-time Tour de France winner. 

Thomas said: "When you see someone as strong as that, a lot of teams are probably thinking: 'How do we beat this guy?' For myself and my team, you've got to stay positive and believe you can still win, otherwise what’s the point?

"It’s certainly a challenge for the rest of us. You've definitely got to look at different ways of racing. There’s no point us riding like we did in the teams and just set a tempo on the front, because that’s just going work for him. It’s certainly exciting to watch."