Dutch analyst Zonneveld reveals that Pogacar's time trial performance was even more impressive than expected: "His bike was heavier"

The cycling journalist told In De Waaier that he had followed the preparations of UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Visma | Lease a Bike with interest. "UAE and Visma have been thinking about the climbing time trial all year. They came to completely opposite conclusions: Vingegaard started on a time trial bike with open wheels, and Pogacar started on his standard road bike. Vingegaard with a time trial helmet, Pogacar with a regular aero helmet."

According to the yellow jersey wearer, it was "50-50" because he can pedal harder on his road bike than on his time trial bike. This would have neutralized the aerodynamic advantage of a time trial bike. Nevertheless, Zonneveld also considered the work done on Pogacar’s road bike to be "really minimal." "They removed the tape from his handlebars, took off the water bottles, trimmed a few corners of his shifters, maybe a little less paint... An evening's work, I think."

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On paper, it should have given Pogacar a lighter bike, because a road bike is always lighter than a time trial bike. But: “I know the weights of both bikes that Pogacar and Vingegaard started on. Pogacar's road bike was heavier than Vingegaard's time trial bike. So, Visma | Lease a Bike managed to take all the aerodynamic gains and still make a lighter bike. They couldn't have done much better, but you can see the result.”

Even so, Pogacar was 36 seconds faster than his rival. ‘Pogacar solved it with a surplus of watts. He pedaled harder, and the difference at the finish was quite significant. I think there was about 0.4 watts per kilogram between Pogacar and Vingegaard, which is really a lot,’ said Zonneveld. “Demotivating,” exclaimed sidekick Jip van den Bos. “Vingegaard had a lot of advantages over Pogacar; he could have won with fewer watts. But he still lost more time.”

According to Van den Bos, if anyone can still make big progress, it is, funnily enough, Pogacar. Taking aerodynamics, weight, and power into account, she said, “Pogacar is actually only doing one of those three things well today. Vingegaard was pedaling with much less power. That's so demotivating, because you can't do any more than that. And if there's anyone who can do even better, it's the winner.”

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After stage 13 in the NOS broadcast, time trial specialist Dumoulin also commented on the choices made by the two big names in this Tour de France. "I can understand both choices. Vingegaard wasn't riding his time trial bike, but a sprint bike with a time trial handlebar mounted on it. That must have cost time to get it to the right size," he said.

Pogacar did not opt for gadgets. "If Pogacar can ride his time trial bike with the same power as his road bike, then the time trial bike would be faster. But that's not the case, so he opts for comfort because he rides his road bike all year round. I found that interesting. Vingegaard feels comfortable on the time trial bike and can ride with the same power on that bike as on the road bike, and you only see guys on time trial bikes in the top five, except for one champion."