A winner in the Giro and Roubaix: are comparisons between Jakob Omrzel and Tadej Pogacar justified? 'More of a climber'

Winning a Grand Tour in the U23s, with a big engine and also a Slovenian passport: where have we seen that before? If you saw Jakob Omrzel in 2025, you might have thought you were looking at a reincarnation of Tadej Pogacar. And if you talked to him, you would know too: mentally, he is just as strong. IDL Pro Cycling got the chance to speak with him, and got to know the young top talent.

After a great season in the U23s, Omrzel quickly was offered a four-year contract with Bahrain Victorious. "For sure, it’s proof that something is right, and that other people are believing in me," he says. "For sure it’s very good, it gives me security. But on the other hand, it is for a reason. I would not sign this contract if I wouldn’t be good or would not be respected. I think that I deserve it."

For the young man, there was no doubt where his pro career would begin. "Bahrain is kind of my home, my team. Even my brother is here, as a bus driver. I feel comfortable here, I know a lot of people. It’s a good environment here to start, but also continue my career. I’m just eager to go on the bike and work with these guys the staff. For me to have this kind of team and these teammates - it’s just a dream."

Most cycling fans got to know Omrzel during the Giro Next Gen. The climber managed to snatch pink in the final stage and win the overall classification. "I’m honored to win that race. It’s a big name, it’s carrying the weight of it. It’s proof that you’re working hard, and that something is working correctly. It’s amazing, honestly, but it’s also just one step. Now, I need to continue to do the work and keep progressing. Everything that happens in your life is for a reason, and this was meant to be."

After the victory, he was bombarded as one of the big favorites for the Tour de l'Avenir. There, he did not live up to the expectations. "At the time it was a disappointment, but when I look at the bigger picture, it was at a time when I did not feel at my best. For sure, my performance was not close to my best. Maybe it was the spirit of time, but from these kind of moments, you learn the most. It is really good to have this, and not just to be disappointed and keep your head low."

Before the Giro Next Gen, the 19-year-old climber also finished fourth in the Tour of Slovenia, his first big result with the elite. And who got fourth in Slovenia at 19 years of age? That's right, Pogacar. "That kind of race, you are watching as a kid," Omrzel says. "You are pleased to even race there, and to do a result there is perfect. For this year even, it is a nice goal, because I want to be at the top."

The Slovenian cycling boom has been massive. It's a great development, but at the same time, it brings pressure. "The crowds are now used to this kind of level. They expect much more from us, but I do not care. I know what I can do, what the progress is like. If I’m realistic, for sure the goals are coming. But in the meantime, I don’t care about the pressure of the crowd. It’s really good to have it, because you have the mentality to do it."

That mentality is what keeps him both grounded and ambitious. Where many a talent would crumble under the weight of the comparisons with the best cyclist ever, the youngster sees it as motivation. "It’s not bothering me in any way. Not just one guy did it, but a lot of guys in Slovenia did it before him. We had and have really good riders. For me, there are many riders that are good, which means I can do it too."

Pogacar won the Tour de l'Avenir at age 19, Omrzel the Giro Next Gen. But another similarity between the two is their skills on the cobbles. Whereas the world champion finished second in Paris-Roubaix this year, his younger compatriot has already lifted a cobblestone in the air: he won the Hell of the North with the juniors. Are we really looking at the next Pogacar here?

Well, Omrzel will probably be a little less focused on the cobbles than his compatriot. "I would say that I’m more focused on the GC, but I think it’s also good that I feel comfortable in this kind of race. Because in the end, it’s different than a stage race, and sometimes, it’s good to have a change. If you’re a bit more complete, I think it’s really good. I also like to explore that, to be better at the cobbles."

The focus on good GC results is for sure more of a goal for the talented Slovenian. "I can say that I’m a climber, for sure. And I am not a sprinter, only when it’s just the climbers: when it’s a small group, when the legs are really tired, I can feel the advantage of it. You try to improve in every way, but you specialize in your own way."

Omrzel, of course, is not the only young megastar at the moment. Jarno Widar, Albert Withen Philipsen, Lorenzo Finn, Paul Seixas.... the elite riders are getting younger and younger. "It’s this natural progress of sport - everything is changing," the Slovenian says. "This sport is developing too, so more and more of the young guys are coming on the scene. We can see the trend that young guys are coming to the top, which for me, that’s good because I’m a younger rider. I’m coming closer and closer."

Seixas finished third at the European Championships among the big boys. That gives Omrzel motivation. "I’m not sitting here like - shit, Seixas got bronze. I’m happy for him, because he’s the same age as him, and he proved that he can race. He closed a lot of mouths that were negative, and that could be helpful for me. In the future, we’ll meet and compete. But in the end, this is sport."