Pedro Delgado predicts a downfall year for Pogacar: “It’s a matter of waiting on mental fatigue”

From the moment he entered the professional peloton, Pogačar was one of the sport’s brightest talents: he won the Tour de France at just 21 and now sits on four overall victories. But Delgado thinks that Pogačar may already have hit his peak. “I think so, yes, he reached that level last year,” the Spaniard told Marca. “From my experience, he can maintain that level for about three years without trouble.”

That suggests we shouldn’t expect any major shifts in the hierarchy just yet. “This year he will remain unbeatable, and I think in 2027 as well,” Delgado continued. “Then we’ll have to wait and see how he manages mentally. In the last Tour he looked different, not as natural as usual. Physically he can sustain this level for another two years: ’26 and ’27. In 2028 we’ll see.”

Pogačar has often spoken openly about his experiences at the very top of professional cycling. After his fourth Tour de France win, he admitted he was completely exhausted. “The fact is I’ve already started counting the years until my retirement,” he said at the time. The Slovenian reached cycling’s summit at a young age, and it’s natural that he won’t race into his 40s. Delgado doesn’t think he will either.

The problem is that when you reach the top, you think you can still improve. I don't think so. Sometimes it's not you that gets worse, but others that get better. At the current level of performance, some riders are improving step by step. That could happen with Juan Ayuso or others. Pogacar's slight decline gives others the chance to catch up with him. That's why I say until 2027.“

Ayuso could therefore benefit from the end of the Pogacar era, but who will be the first Tour winner after the Slovenian? ”I would say Vingegaard. I always say that Pogacar is two steps above the good riders. Vingegaard is one step below him, but one step above others like Evenepoel. This year, I want to see Lipowitz's development, to see if he takes another step forward."