'He’s at the age now where he's coming into his prime' - Where does Tadej Pogačar go next after a year of unequalled domination?
Becoming the first male rider since 1987 to complete cycling’s hallowed triple crown earns the Slovenian this year’s prize. Tom Thewlis salutes a spectacular year


This feature originally appeared in Cycling Weekly magazine on 5th December 2024. Subscribe now and never miss an issue.
Where to even start with Tadej Pogačar’s remarkable year. The breadth of the 26-year-old’s achievements in 2024 speaks for itself, and forever underscores his unparalleled, era-defining greatness. We may never see the like of it again.
Among the spoils he has taken during his epoch of supreme dominance, three particular victories stand above the rest. Pogačar combined a debut Giro d’Italia victory, a third Tour de France yellow jersey and the road world title to become the first man since Stephen Roche in 1987 to etch cycling’s hallowed triple crown onto his palmarès.
Eddy Merckx is the only other man to achieve such a feat, with Annemiek van Vleuten being the only woman to do so. They are two of the sport’s greatest ever riders, and now Pogačar has confirmed his place in the pantheon alongside them. In total, the Slovenian won 25 races across 58 days of competition this year, dominating across a staggering variety of courses.
Not only did he continue to demonstrate his prowess in Grand Tours and smaller stage races, he also continued to decimate the field at a variety of one-day affairs, launching long-range attacks to blast away from the competition at Strade Bianche, Liège–Bastogne–Liège and the GP Montréal.
Long solo breaks aren’t unusual in modern cycling, but the Slovenian has made them his bread and butter. He kicked off his season in March by launching his race-winning acceleration 80km out from Strade Bianche’s finish in Siena’s Piazza del Campo. And he ended his campaign as he’d begun it, with a 48km solo move to take a fourth straight Il Lombardia victory in October. Prior to Lombardia came his crowning moment, his pièce de résistance, the road world title.
Pogačar claimed the rainbow bands in Zurich after a 51km solo raid following an audacious initial attack 100km out, which initially left viewers questioning whether this time he had miscalculated.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Watching with friends in Mallorca, Sean Kelly was among the doubters. "Well, I’ll put my hand up," said the Irishman. "I said maybe he's getting a bit too bold now and doing it that bit too early so he might just pay for this one. But then three hours later, we saw that there was no question he was in control." Briefly aided by Pavel Sivakov, his French colleague on UAE Emirates, Pogačar soon lit the afterburners and was gone.
"What can you do against that?" asked Kelly, rhetorically. "There's nothing. People have tried, but after a kilometre there was just a huge explosion and they have blown up. Riders have said that they made a mistake in trying to follow him – they know they're not going to be able to match it when he goes."
Pogačar’s dominance has roused a cacophony from pundits speculating that he will be the man to take Eddy Merckx’s crown as cycling’s greatest ever rider. The comparison does not seem to faze UAE’s superstar in the slightest.
"He doesn't seem to feel the pressure at all," Kelly noted. "He just gets on with his business. He's at the age now where he's coming into his prime and has shown this year that he's in his best years. When you get to 26 to 30, you’re coming into your best years as a cyclist." Kelly believes that Pogačar’s ability to shut himself off from the outside chatter and get on with the job is a major advantage that sets him apart from his rivals.
So what now for Pogačar? Where does he go next year, and how can he shake off the omnipresent comparison to Merckx?
"The Tour and Vuelta [double] could be the one next year," Kelly surmised. "But the team won’t want him doing too many races too early. The problem is, whatever the race, he wants to win."
As problems go, it’s a nice one to have – and Kelly conceded that much will depend on whether Pogačar decides to centre the latter part of his 2025 season around the Rwanda World Championships in September. "No matter what it is, he just wants to win," concluded Kelly. "That's just the type of racer he is."
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Tom has been writing for Cycling Weekly since 2022 and his news stories, rider interviews and features appear both online and in the magazine.
Since joining the team, he has reported from some of professional cycling's biggest races and events including the Tour de France and the World Championships in Glasgow. He has also covered major races elsewhere across the world. As well as on the ground reporting, Tom writes race reports from the men's and women's WorldTour and focuses on coverage of UK domestic cycling.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
-
Can anyone stop Primož Roglič or Juan Ayuso from winning the Giro d’Italia?
Roglič and Ayuso's form suggest they are the two outright favourites for overall victory in Rome next month
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
How to watch Dwars door Vlaanderen 2025: Everything you need to live stream the cobbled Belgian Classic
All the information on broadcasters and live streams for Dwars door Vlaanderen on 2 April, as Wout van Aert, Mads Pedersen, Marianne Vos and Lotte Kopecky take on the cobbles.
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Can anyone stop Primož Roglič or Juan Ayuso from winning the Giro d’Italia?
Roglič and Ayuso's form suggest they are the two outright favourites for overall victory in Rome next month
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tom Pidcock’s Q36.5 receive Giro d’Italia wildcard invite along with Tudor Pro Cycling
Team Polti Visit Malta and VF Group BardianiCSF - Faizane also receive invitations from RCS
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Extra wildcard team approved for Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España
Number of teams to increase from 22 to 23 at men's Grand Tours
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Tadej Pogačar commemorates Strade Bianche crash with limited edition t-shirt - here's how you can buy it
Part of profits from new t-shirt will go to world champion's charity foundation
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Jonas Vingegaard out of Volta a Catalunya after Paris-Nice crash
Visma-Lease a Bike say two-time Tour de France winner needs more time to recover from wrist injury sustained in France last week
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'We've all got a little bit extra in us this year' - Ineos Grenadiers recapture 'fighting spirit' with aggressive Paris-Nice display
British team continue to put tumultuous 2024 behind them with momentum and a new found mentality
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Matteo Jorgenson aiming to 'set the bar higher' and target a Grand Tour after securing second Paris-Nice title
American explained that targeting a win in one of the sport's biggest three-week races was now the logical next step in his career
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Matteo Jorgenson rules out Tour de France leadership after Jonas Vingegaard's withdrawal from Paris-Nice
The American is on the cusp of a second consecutive victory at the Race to the Sun
By Tom Thewlis Published