The 26-year-old Slovenian has recorded a remarkable performance with 25 victories this year, including the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France and the Road World Championship. He thus becomes only the third male rider to triumph in these three events in the same year, and the first since Stephen Roche in 1987. His victory at the world championship was marked by an incredible 100 km solo escape, which left experienced runners and commentators looking for appropriate adjectives.
During this exceptional season, Pogačar also won events such as the Strade Bianche, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, the Giro dell’Emilia and, to top it all off, Il Lombardia with another impressive solo of “only” 48.5 km. What more can we say about a rider who dominates his sport in the same way as Eddy Merckx, who once called him the GOAT, the greatest of all time.
Opinion: Tadej Pogačar est-il le GOAT?
Pogačar previously won this award in 2021, but he said during the award ceremony, held at the Pavillon Gabriel in Paris, that this time it had special value for him. “I was still young [à l’époque] “, he explained. “With time, we understand the importance of things. I feel honored that all the work accomplished is recognized. It will be almost impossible to have another year like this, but I will do my best. »
On the women’s side, the Vélo d’Or saw the victory of Lotte Kopecky of the SD Worx–Protime team, who equally deserves this distinction after winning 16 races in 2024, including her second consecutive World Champion title on road, the European Time Trial Championship, the UAE Tour Féminin, the Tour de Romandie Féminin, Paris-Roubaix Femmes with Zwift and several titles at the Belgian national championships. An impressive track record.
However, Kopecky shines in every other aspect of cycling. She excels in time trials, is an excellent sprinter, is one of the best one-day runners in the world, and has also enjoyed success on the track, with six world titles and six Olympic gold medals. She is a good enough climber to have finished second in the last Tour de France Femmes with Zwift.
In a video recorded at her team’s training camp in Finland, Kopecky said: “I’m super happy and proud to win this Golden Bike. People close to me know that I am grateful – my family, my friends and also my teammates at SD Worx–Protime. Last year it was pretty close, but this year I got it… I’m already looking forward to next season. »
Le Vélo d’Or was created in 1992 by the French publication Bike Magazineand it is awarded each year to the rider considered the best of the year. The first honor for a female runner came in 2022, when Annemiek van Vleuten was the lucky winner. Last year, fellow Dutch runner Demi Vollering, Kopecky’s former teammate, won the honor.
As a keen observer of cycling, I consider Tadej Pogačar’s year to be a pivotal time for the sport. Its dominance, while impressive, raises questions about the future of this discipline, particularly due to the lack of significant rivalry. The riders who could challenge him have not yet reached the same level of consistency and performance. This portends a cycle where a single athlete could crush the competition. As for Lotte Kopecky, her success highlights the importance of a range of skills in modern cycling, where riders must excel on multiple fronts to stand out. The increasing complexity of this sport requires constant evolution, not only of the riders but also of the support behind them. The next season will be crucial to see if other talents emerge to compete with these two champions.
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