«I have the Tour in mind, but the Milan-San Remo… here’s how I can win it»

I would like to win them all, I don’t know if it will be possible. It’s not a bluster, says Tadej Pogacar, 24, a Slovenian from Komenda, five thousand inhabitants near Ljubljana and the Adriatic. Tadej known as Pogi is the world number one in cycling who will get on his bike for the Milan-Sanremo on Saturday: the phrase comes from a week ago, on the eve of the Paris-Nice that the phenomenon of the UAE Team Emirates has dominated. He didn’t win them all, but he came close: in the three toughest stages he showed Vingegaard that there is none for anyone, and it won’t be easy to take away his third Tour as the Dane did a year ago. Because nothing is impossible for this boy destined to rewrite the rules, the numbers, the records, among the youngest to have reached 50 victories as a professional, Merckx and Maertens better than him, so to speak. Since the beginning of the season he has won 9 times in 13 days of racing: things never seen before. Sanremo could be his only Italian appearance this season: so he accepted our invitation to tell his story from France, between one showdown and another.

Tadej, has already won Liège and Lombardia twice. What does Milan-San Remo represent and what is your first memory of this classic?
«Unfortunately in Slovenia they didn’t broadcast Sanremo when I was a boy, and I don’t have too many memories. But now I can say that I know it well, it’s a race that I really like even if I think it’s probably the hardest race to win».

Living in Montecarlo, we imagine that he went to review the ending of the route.
«Yes, I don’t live very far away and sometimes during training I stretch out towards the Poggio. I don’t deny having imagined in my head various possible scenarios on how the race could take place».

He is the number one in the world according to the world ranking. But in his head, does he really feel like number one?
«Not really, I always do my best, but in cycling you always lose more races than you win (not this year though, ed), so I think you can never think like this because you would easily be disappointed».

Apart from Pogacar: who are the three strongest riders in the world right now?
“Hard to say. There are so many strong riders for so many different terrains. This is what makes cycling a sport different from all the others».

The other classic-monuments, Flanders, Roubaix, and then the World Championship: do you consider them on the same level or is there one appointment that fascinates you more and that you would like to win before the others?
“All three are huge rides. Last year in Flanders was one of the funnest days I’ve ever had on a bike. I would like to experience Paris-Roubaix one day. And of course the World Cup is also very prestigious. They are certainly goals for the future, even if winning them could be very difficult».

When he can, he takes it all. In cycling, Merckx did it, so to speak. Where does this hunger come from?
“I’ve always been ambitious and I enjoy racing, so the desire to win comes naturally. As I think it is for most of the riders in the peloton.”

What is the area in which you feel you need to improve the most?
«I am focused on all aspects of my life and my activity: training, nutrition, rest. With the current level of competition you can’t leave anything out. In the team we work very hard on these details together with the staff to try to do all the important things right».

You recently said that you don’t consider the Giro-Tour combination possible, the last one to succeed was Pantani in 1998: do you think that in the future maybe he will try?
“I do not know. For the moment I’m focused on the Tour. But as I’ve always said, one day I’d like to race the Giro as well. It’s an exciting prospect for years to come, but when exactly that will happen I don’t know. The same goes for the Vuelta, it’s another race I’d like to go back to one day (he finished third on his debut, he was 20 years old) ».

Is there anyone in the past who loved to see racing?
«When I started watching the Tour it was the period in which Schleck and Contador were fighting for yellow. But I didn’t really have an idol in cycling».

Is there a runner who wouldn’t want to be side by side in a duo sprint?
«In a tough uphill finish, if I feel good, I play my chances against most of the riders, but obviously it’s more complicated on the flat. I prefer not to find myself with a sprinter in a flat finish, but after a long race there are many factors that affect other than speed, such as legs and fatigue».

She said success hasn’t changed her. How does he handle the pressure?
“I live a pretty normal life outside of cycling. I like simple things like spending time with my girlfriend, cooking, cycling. I like to spend quiet days».

He’s an all-weather racer, like there aren’t many. But he confessed that in August he begins to feel the weight of the efforts. How is it reconciled?
«Yes, actually the last one was a long season. But it was also one of the most successful years with some of my best victories. This year will be different from the previous ones, with a more gradual start. I can’t say if it’s better or worse, just different and that there’s something new is also a good thing.”

When you’re not racing, do you still watch racing or switch off altogether?
“I love watching the races when I’m at home. Cycling for both men and women. To cheer on my team mates and also my girlfriend Urska who rides on the women’s circuit.”

Do you train together with your partner?
“Yes, when we’re both at home we like to ride bikes together.”

He is Slovenia’s most famous sportsman: how do you experience it? What does it mean to take a small state to the top of the world with its bike?
«I’m not sure I’m the most famous… there are many top athletes in our country. But I’m proud to represent Slovenia and together with all the other Slovenians in the World Tour. I think it’s a beautiful time for our country and for cycling».

Win, earn, have fun. But what is happiness for Tadej Pogacar?
“Happiness is a fairly simple concept: the good health of my friends and family and being able to continue doing what I love. After that, if I can be an inspiration for kids who maybe start cycling or sports in general, then that’s something I can be happy about».

Cycling is a tough sport. How do you live it, how do you deal with the moments in which perhaps it becomes a pain rather than a pleasure?
“I try to stay calm. Cycling is a team sport, where you rely on your teammates. If you can act calmly even in stressful situations, that’s all the better. It’s not always easy in the heat of the moment, but I do my best.”

What are Tadej’s passions outside of the bike?
«I’m a fan of rap music, especially Slovenian but also American rap. I watch Netflix when I’m at home. Sometimes I even read books to practice my English a bit.’

Where do you see yourself after cycling?
“I haven’t looked that far yet. I hope I still have a few more years on the bike!»