Tadej Pogačar joins Messi, Ronaldo, Alcaraz and Sinner on TIME’s elite sports list

Tadej Pogačar has been included by TIME Magazine as the only cyclist on its list of the 100 most influential people in sport. The four-time Tour de France winner from Slovenia shares that distinction with global names such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Erling Haaland, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Lando Norris, Mondo Duplantis and Jordan Stolz.

The list of 100 names is not ranked from one to 100. Instead, TIME has divided the athletes and sports figures into broader categories such as icons, titans, innovators and leaders. The exact distinction between those groups is somewhat open to interpretation, but Pogačar has been given a place among the standout names in world sport.

TIME describes Pogačar’s range in glowing terms. “A four-time champion of the Tour de France — including the last two editions of the world’s premier cycling event — Tadej Pogačar, 27, can win anywhere on two wheels: Grand Tours, one-week stage races, one-day classics, world-championship road races, and individual time trials. He can win across cobble or gravel and is a master uphill climber,” the magazine wrote, according to CyclingNews.

“Pogi” initially had an interest in football as a child in Slovenia, but after his older brother began training as a cyclist at a local club, he followed the same path. TIME also points to the way Pogačar appears to embrace the suffering that comes with his sport.

“Suffering and cycling go hand in hand,” Pogačar told the UCI in 2024. “Anyone who rides a bike, even for fun, knows what it’s like to suffer on a hill or battle through cold and rain. It’s what unites the cycling fraternity and makes it a special sport.”

Pogačar will return to competition on Wednesday at the Tour de Suisse, before turning his attention to the Tour de France. Later this year, the Vuelta a España may also be on his schedule, followed by the World Championships and the Tour of Lombardy.

Author: David Bavin-Hobbs - [email protected]