Tadej Poga\u010dar has joined cycling\u2019s most exclusive club and solidified his position among the greatest cyclists of all time. The 27-year-old Slovenian won the 2026 Tour de France by six minutes and 26 seconds, collecting five stage victories and a fifth overall yellow jersey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Only Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault, Miguel Indurain and Eddy Merckx have also won the Tour five times. Poga\u010dar is a complete cyclist: he can win long mountain stages, time trials and explosive uphill finishes, while also beating specialists in one-day classic races.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So what makes Poga\u010dar different from other riders who are already among the world\u2019s best?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tour contenders need enormous aerobic capacity, which comes from the ability of the heart, lungs, blood and muscles to deliver and use oxygen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cyclists also need to convert this oxygen into mechanical power efficiently and produce high power relative to their body mass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Poga\u010dar\u2019s physiological data remain estimates rather than reported laboratory values. It\u2019s been estimated he can sustain about 442 watts on the bike for more than 40 minutes. This equates to a maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) two to three times higher than a normal healthy adult and exceeding most elite athletes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Poga\u010dar provided a glimpse into his physiology and training during an interview on Peter Attia\u2019s The Drive podcast. He said he doesn\u2019t rely heavily on VO2max or functional threshold power tests. Instead, he judges his efforts using heart rate, climbing speed and perceived exertion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He described completing 20-40 minute Zone 2 climbs at 320-340 watts, with a heart rate around 150-155 beats per minute when fresh and 140-145 when fatigued. On longer, flat rides, he lowers his output to 290-300 watts because an intensity that begins in Zone 2 can become unsustainable after several hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This insight highlights an important distinction. Poga\u010dar isn\u2019t just capable of producing extraordinary power \u2013 he\u2019s also skilled at interpreting and regulating his efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A huge engine alone doesn\u2019t explain his dominance though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many elite cyclists have exceptional aerobic capacity. What matters is how efficiently they can use that capacity, how well they can sustain it and how their performance deteriorates after hours of racing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Durability describes the ability to preserve performance as fatigue accumulates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the Tour, durability is key because stages are rarely decided when riders are fresh. The decisive attack often comes on the final climb, after several thousand kilojoules of work and hours spent managing heat, dehydration and dwindling carbohydrate stores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
UAE Team Emirates-XRG\u2019s Head of Performance Jeroen Swart says Poga\u010dar loses less than 1% of his fresh performance after expending around 4,500 kilojoules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This may be one of his greatest strengths. Other riders produce comparable peak power when fresh but deteriorate more as a stage progresses, leaving them less capable of responding at decisive moments. Poga\u010dar can attack when his rivals are approaching their limits, then sustain the effort alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Poga\u010dar\u2019s durability isn\u2019t just aerobic. His training includes heavy strength exercises and low-cadence (slower pedalling), high-torque riding that preserves muscular force as fatigue accumulates. This helps him retain the explosive acceleration needed to attack late in a stage after hours of racing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many Tour winners are exceptional climbers or time triallists. Poga\u010dar adds rare abilities to accelerate, sprint and repeatedly surge \u2013 these qualities are more commonly associated with the greatest one-day classics riders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This versatility gives Poga\u010dar tactical freedom. He doesn\u2019t need to wait for one ideal finishing scenario. He can attack from distance, win from a small group or gain time in a time trial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His opponents must prepare for multiple threats, while Poga\u010dar can choose the moment that best exposes their weaknesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n