Tadej Pogačar is probably not one for motivational lines and phrases but the words of Miguel Torres perfectly describe the Slovenian’s career: “Greatness is a journey that begins with the impossible and turns into the unforgettable”.
That journey for Pogačar was achieved by finally winning Milan-San Remo.
Pogačar has dazzled us for the last six years as he made winning bike races look so easy. We got used to, and almost bored, by his dominance as he has won race after race and his rivals suffered in defeat. Yet we were judging Pogačar’s talents and greatness by the wrong measure, comparing his limits to those who tread before him and raced against him.
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Pogačar won Milan-San Remo by defeating his own demons and whatever the gods of cycling could throw at him as he raced along the Ligurian coast.
I witnessed Mark Cavendish win Milan-San Remo as a rookie in 2009. I saw Mario Cipollini win the Via Roma sprint in 2002 after more than a decade of defeat. And I have seen the race provide the most dramatic half an hour of racing each season. Yet nothing compares to what Pogačar did this year.
The difference between victory and defeat for Pogačar had never been so fine but the symbolism of the photo-finish was huge.
Pogačar never really admitted but winning Milan-San Remo had become an obsession, a challenge bigger than the race itself, as he tried to respond to those who said he would never win it.
Pogačar’s happiness and relief was so strong that he admitted he may never ride Milan-San Remo again, or at least for a year or two, preferring riding to San Remo to eat Italian focaccia rather than training on the Cipressa and Poggio.
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