It’s a tough time being the next best thing in the Pogačar era

Ben O’Connor and Mathieu van der Poel thought they put in Worlds-winning rides on Sunday; there was just the small matter of Tadej Pogačar

Ben O'Connor after the podium at the World Championships, with Tadej Pogačar shadowing
(Image credit: SWPix.com/Zac Williams)
Adam Becket
Adam Becket

News editor at Cycling Weekly, Adam brings his weekly opinion on the goings on at the upper echelons of our sport. This piece is part of The Leadout, a newsletter series from Cycling Weekly and Cyclingnews. To get this in your inbox, subscribe here. As ever, email adam.becket@futurenet.com - should you wish to add anything, or suggest a topic.

If you had to name the rider who finished second at the Giro d’Italia this year, could you? I put this question to my colleagues yesterday, people who are more immersed in the world of professional cycling than the general public, and it stumped them.

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Adam Becket
News editor

Adam is Cycling Weekly’s news editor – his greatest love is road racing but as long as he is cycling, he's happy. Before joining CW he spent two years writing for Procycling. He's usually out and about on the roads of Bristol and its surrounds.

Before cycling took over his professional life, he covered ecclesiastical matters at the world’s largest Anglican newspaper and politics at Business Insider. Don't ask how that is related to cycling.