Tadej Pogačar blows away opposition with ‘crazy’ attack to win world championships

There can be no doubt.

Tadej Pogačar has cemented himself as the greatest of modern cyclists — and made a case for being the greatest of all time.

In winning the world championships in Zurich on Sunday, the 26-year-old from Slovenia completed cycling’s triple crown — winning the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and World Championships in a single year.

Pogačar beat Ben O’Connor into second place by 34 seconds, the Australian capping a stunning season of his own with a maiden individual world championship medal, while defending champion Mathieu van der Poel earned an admirable bronze 58 seconds back. 

But as impressive as O’Connor’s race was, it pales into insignificance when matched with what Pogačar achieved.

At a world championships overshadowed by tragedy, Pogačar’s majestic, historic brilliance offers a balm both wholly inadequate and, at the same time, soothing for the soul.

Just two other men can claim to have won the triple crown in the history of the sport: Eddie Merckx (1974) and Stephen Roche (1987).

Annemiek van Vleuten also achieved victories in all three events in 2022, although the Giro Donne and Tour de France Femmes are still, frustratingly, just one-week races.

Context is not only important when adding fables to cycling’s bountiful mythology, you could argue it is everything.

When Merckx achieved the feat in the 70s, he was towards the end of his unstoppable career — the Belgian’s nickname, the Cannibal, was by virtue of his extraordinary appetite for race wins that only abated after he completed this holy grail.

And, with no degree of false modesty, Roche would be the first man to admit that there was a degree of fortune about his own triple crown, with his surprise World Championship victory coming by virtue of being in the right place at the right time, having worked all day for Sean Kelly.

Which is what makes Pogačar’s season so remarkable.

Pogačar did not just win the Giro d’Italia. 

He destroyed the opposition in a way not seen in decades, winning six stages and overall victory by over 10 minutes.

Neither did he scrape through the Tour de France. 

His victory there, in as strong a field as has ever been assembled, was just as extraordinary, another six stage wins in the bag as well as the yellow jersey — the third of his career.

Sure, there is the caveat of his closest rival, Jonas Vingegaard, returning from a devastating injury and not being quite at full strength. But even that did not detract from his triumph. 

His win in Zurich though? That was on a completely different level.

Pogačar’s ‘stupid’ attack sets up victory

With just over 100 kilometres to go in the 273.9km race, on the 17 per cent gradients of the Bergstrasse climb, Pogačar launched his first attack to distance himself from his rivals, among them Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel and defending world champion Mathieu van der Poel.

Seeing Pogačar distancing the peloton with such consummate ease up a slope that has his rivals panting and zigzagging across the road has become almost commonplace over the past few years.

Indeed, long-range attacks have become something of a Pogačar feature in one-day races.

His 34km solo raid at Liège–Bastogne–Liège and 81km solo attack at Strade Bianche — both of which resulted in victories — should have been a sign that Pogačar was willing and, more importantly able, to go from a long way out.

But this surge was taking place an astronomical distance from the finish.

It was audacious. Foolhardy. “Stupid”, according to the man himself.

“We had a plan to keep the race under control, but … there was a dangerous break­away, and perhaps I did a stupid attack,” Pogačar said after the finish.

“Luckily [teammate] Jan [Tratnik] was there with me.”

Pogačar linked with Tratnik, who was in a break with Australian Jay Vine three minutes up the road.

Then, he surged again, bursting away from that group with French rider Pavel Sivakov with 78km to go.

Even that collaboration didn’t last. With 51km remaining, Sivakov could no longer keep up and Pogačar went alone.

Meanwhile, behind him, his rivals were in a state of shock.

“The moment he went, I was saying to Mathieu [van der Poel] that it was a suicide move and that everything was going to come back together,” Evenepoel said.

“It was a very long way to go.

“Every normal guy would say 100km to go is way too far, but I think Tadej this year is not normal.”

For his part, van der Poel, who sprinted to a valiant third place, told Pogačar he was “crazy”.

“I thought he was throwing away his chances for a rainbow jersey because the situation was not that ideal at that moment,” van der Poel said.

“I thought it was more of a panic attack, but he was so strong that he could make it work until the end.”

That’s not to say there were no doubts from the man himself.

“I don’t know what I was thinking,” Pogačar said.

Luck has nothing to do with it.

In Pogačar, the cycling world is witnessing history taking place in front of its eyes.

Not since Merckx has there been a male rider capable of winning such a diversity of races in this fashion.

Not since Merckx has there been a man so bold, so daring, so damn brilliant.

One does wonder whether he regrets not attempting to claim a unique, golden triple crown after missing the magical Olympic road race in Paris, won by Evenepoel.

But with Pogačar, who has won on a staggering 20 occasions this season, excluding the overall titles in all three of the stage races he contested this year, you get the feeling there will be other opportunities.

“It seems like this is just the beginning, he’s stronger than ever,” van der Poel said. 

“I would say he’s a deserved world champion. 

“If you see his season, it’s the only one that deserves to wear it. 

“I think he’s going to be an incredible world champion.”

O’Connor’s sensational silver

Behind Pogačar, another solo rider reached the finish line after a daring attack of his own, Ben O’Connor.

A runner-up at this year’s Vuelta a España and fourth-place finisher at the Giro, O’Connor capped a superb World Championship for Australia — and a brilliant season of his own — with a memorable silver.

“I’m a very, very happy man,” O’Connor told Cycling Australia.

“I didn’t win … but, for my own personal sake, it’s a really, really top world-class one-day race result. 

“I haven’t really done a tonne in one-day races, so to get a second here in the World Champs, the biggest of them all, it’s a pretty sweet feeling.”

O’Connor made his first crucial move with 20km remaining, bridging across to join a group of seven, including Evenepoel, van der Poel, Marc Hirschi, Enric Mas, Ben Healy and Toms Skujins, some 40 seconds behind Pogačar.

Then, with just 2km remaining, he burst away off the front of that pack to solo for the silver.

“I wanted to slip through in the middle because as soon as you come from the side everyone can see you,” O’Connor said.

“It’s just how bike racing works — tactics, being smart.

“I don’t really know what you can put it down to, but I found a great moment. 

“As soon as you get a jump like that, you have to commit to chase it down.”

The result caps a remarkable season for O’Connor.

After his reputation was somewhat trashed during one episode of Netflix’s Tour de France documentary, before being built up later in the series, O’Connor could have been at a crossroads after ending his association with Decathlon–AG2R La Mondiale to link up with Jayco-AlUla from next season.

The return “home” to an Australian team will mark a new phase in his career, as Australian cycling goes from strength to strength.

Grace Brown won the women’s individual time trial, while both she and O’Connor were part of the team that won the mixed relay team time trial. On Saturday, Neve Bradbury won silver in the women’s u23 road race. 

O’Connor, meanwhile, joins Michael Matthews (who also has two bronzes), Simon Gerrans, Matthew Goss and Robbie McEwen as world championship silver medallists in the road race. 

Cadel Evans is the only man to have won gold in the men’s road race at the championships in 2009.