{"id":196860,"date":"2024-09-30T11:02:15","date_gmt":"2024-09-30T11:02:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=196860"},"modified":"2024-09-30T11:02:15","modified_gmt":"2024-09-30T11:02:15","slug":"pogacar-wins-road-race-world-championship-with-eye-popping-100-km-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2024\/09\/30\/pogacar-wins-road-race-world-championship-with-eye-popping-100-km-attack\/","title":{"rendered":"Poga\u010dar Wins Road Race World Championship With Eye-Popping 100 km Attack"},"content":{"rendered":"

Even by his own unearthly standards, Tadej Poga\u010dar\u2019s victory in Sunday\u2019s Elite Men\u2019s Road Race World Championship was exceptional. Starting his attack with 100 km to go in the 273.9 km race, the 26-year-old Slovenian turned the race on its head and left defending world champion Mathieu van der Poel, this year\u2019s ITT world champion Remco Evenepoel, and the rest of the world\u2019s top cyclists scrambling for the minor places.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Australia\u2019s Ben O\u2019Connor topped an excellent season by finishing second, 34 seconds behind, adding another medal to the gold he had won in the mixed relay. Van der Poel finished a courageous third, 58 seconds adrift.<\/p>\n

With this win, which capped an extraordinary season, Poga\u010dar accomplished a historical feat, becoming only the third male rider to win the Giro d\u2019Italia, Tour de France and World Championship Road Race all in the same year, and the first since Stephen Roche in 1987. (There\u2019s a move afoot among some commentators to refer to this feat as \u201cThe Triple.\u201d But there is only one true \u201cTriple\u201d in cycling and that\u2019s the Triple Crown of Grand Tour wins, the Giro, the Tour and the Vuelta.)<\/p>\n

To make history, Poga\u010dar had a little help from his friends. First from fellow Slovenian Jan Tratnik who was part of a strong ten-rider breakaway that included Jay Vine of Australia, the French rider Pavel Sivakov, Germany\u2019s Florian Lipowitz and the Briton Stevie Williams. It was this breakaway that prompted Poga\u010dar\u2019s insane adventure.<\/p>\n

Given the fact that there were no team radios allowed during the race, it\u2019s unclear how Tratnik heard that his team leader was coming his way; perhaps he was tipped by a roadside staff member. In any case, he slowed and waited for Poga\u010dar, then led him to the breakaway. The Slovenian left that group behind with 78 km left in the race but, again, he was not alone. His UAE Team Emirates teammate Sivakov joined him and helped him open a gap on his main rivals that reached 1:25 at one point.<\/p>\n

But with 51 km left to ride, the Frenchman could no longer keep the pace and Poga\u010dar carried on alone. No problem, it was only 51 km; at the Strade Bianche in early March, he rode solo for 81 km to win the race.<\/p>\n

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That was one hell of a bike race\ud83e\udd2f<\/p>\n

Men Elite Road Race Podium \u2935\ufe0f <\/p>\n

\ud83e\udd47 Tadej Poga\u010dar \ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddee
\ud83e\udd48 Ben O'Connor \ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa
\ud83e\udd49 Mathieu van der Poel \ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddf1#Zurich2024<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/MqAPOfFOYT<\/a><\/p>\n

— UCI (@UCI_cycling) September 29, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n