Tadej Pogačar beaten in Slovenia one week after fifth Tour de France victory

Tadej Pogačar has been busy raising money for his Tadej Pogačar Foundation in Slovenia this weekend. On Friday, he organized a post-Tour criterium in Komenda, but Sunday was reserved for the main event: the Pogi Challenge. The five-time Tour de France winner took on more than 1,000 recreational cyclists, but just like last year, he was unable to “win.”

The Pogi Challenge takes place on the Krvavec climb, where Pogačar won his first race as a junior in 2009. Since the climb to the Slovenian ski resort is also located close to the cyclist’s family home, it is an ideal place to conclude his three-day event.

Pogačar was not alone: Isaac del Toro, Pascal Ackermann and former professional Ryan Gibbons also remained in Slovenia after Friday’s event to get back on their bikes on Sunday. They were joined by another 1,177 people, a number chosen to match the elevation gain of the Krvavec climb.

Pogačar also organized the challenge last year, starting the climb seven minutes after all the recreational riders and attempting to catch every one of them before the summit. He did not manage it on that occasion: 41-year-old Briton Andrew Feather completed the 15-kilometer climb, which has an average gradient of around eight percent, in just 44 minutes and 15 seconds. Pogačar completed the climb in a little over 40 minutes — one day after Il Lombardia — although his personal record, set before the 2024 Tour de France, stands at approximately 31 minutes.

“Thank you for coming. It is an honor to ride with you. And yes, I hope the climb is over as quickly as possible,” Pogačar told all the participants before the event began, according to Slovenian media. It started with a nine-kilometer group ride from Komenda, during which participants could ride alongside Pogačar while supporters cheered him on from the roadside.

At the foot of the climb, the participants were allowed to continue several minutes before Pogačar was released in pursuit toward Krvavec. “Do not rush. The first two kilometers are the hardest, and anyone who goes too hard there will pay the price later. That is not pleasant on such a long, sustained climb. Take it easy and enjoy it, but after that you can increase the pace depending on how you feel,” Pogačar advised the recreational riders.

Once the world champion himself was released, it was quite a sight to see him pass more than 1,000 amateurs one by one, often at a vastly different speed. He did not catch all of them, however, as the first recreational rider — Germany’s Frederik Niessen — crossed the finish line ahead of Pogačar after 45 minutes and 50 seconds. The Tour de France winner reached the finish after 50 minutes with a broad smile on his face.