Izagirre rode alongside Valverde and Contador: "But Pogačar is something I've never seen before"

Izagirre turned pro on the WorldTour with Euskaltel–Euskadi in 2011, and went on to ride for teams including Movistar, Bahrain–Merida, and Astana. He ended his career with Cofidis, after winning two stages in the Tour de France, one stage each in the Vuelta a España and the Giro d'Italia, and overall victories in the Tour of the Basque Country and the Tour of Poland.

But in addition to his own successes, the Basque rider often rode in support of great team leaders. One of the most talked-about names: Alejandro Valverde. He was a valued teammate for three years. “He was at a fantastic level,” Izagirre told Sport.es. “He was an amazing rider who always got the job done when you were his domestique. He was a true professional who took good care of himself and trained like no other.”

Izagirre spoke about how cycling has made giant strides over the past fifteen years. “I think everything is changing, and cycling is no exception. I’ve seen a lot of changes, especially in the areas of research and equipment improvements. Training methods have also changed: new studies are constantly being published, although the fundamentals remain the same.”

In his final year as a pro, Izagirre still put on some amazing performances. He finished seventh in Paris-Nice, fourth in the Tour of the Basque Country, and won both the GP Indurain and the Marco Pantani Memorial. This is all the more impressive given the generation of cyclists the tenacious Basque had to compete against. He has seen many world-class riders come and go, but one stands out above the rest.

And that, of course, is none other than Tadej Pogačar. “I’ve raced alongside amazing riders like Contador, Wiggins, Froome, and Nibali, but Pogacar is something I’ve never seen before. He’s a versatile cyclist who can perform well on any terrain and under any conditions. When you’re in the peloton, that’s when you realise just how much power he can generate.”