'It wasn't super dominant' - Pogacar downplays crushing Euros win

Another Sunday, another solo, another title. Tadej Pogačar keeps on winning, and his victory in the European Championships road race on Sunday was essentially a replica of his triumph at the Kigali World Championships a week ago.

This time out, Pogačar struck out alone with 75km still to race. Once again, Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) was his closest pursuer and once again, the result was never in any doubt. For most of the final hour, Pogačar’s lead was north of one minute as he cruised to the title. 

The gap dropped to 31 seconds as he slowed to celebrate in the closing kilometres, but this latest exhibition was every bit as crushing as his procession in Rwanda a week ago, despite his protestations to the contrary.

“I found myself in the front and I tried to keep the good gap of around one minute,” Pogačar said. “I know it’s a comfortable gap, but I don’t think it was super dominant. Remco was very good and always chasing me. I could not give up until the finish line, I had to push really, really hard. I’m happy it’s over and it’s another title.”

Pogacar suggested that his attack was almost forced upon him by circumstances. Although his strong Slovenian team had helped to distance Jonas Vingegaard (Denmark) on the second ascent of the Côte de Saint-Romain-de-Lerps, Pogačar found himself isolated by the time they took on the climb for the third and final time. Not for the first time in a major championship, he reasoned that attack was the best form of defence.

“Obviously, we knew the race would be the hardest on the third climb, but Belgium started to attack on the second lap and I started to lose some teammates,” Pogačar said.

“Domen [Novak] and Matej [Mohoric] were still going really strong to keep everything together, but then on the third lap I saw there were four or five Belgians, and I was alone, so it was better to be on the attack than to be with too many guys who can attack you.”

The European Championships was one of the few major races missing from Pogačar’s palmarès, which now features some 106 wins. He will, of course, be strongly favoured to add to that tally at Tre Valli Varesine and Il Lombardia before he brings the curtain down on his season.

The Tour de France, inevitably, will feature on his 2026 schedule, and one imagines Pogačar will seek to add Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix to his list of conquests after near misses this season.

“Every year I want to be a better version of myself and try to gain more experience, try different races,” Pogačar said. “I am lucky enough to win all these kinds of races, and I need to enjoy it for as long as I can.”

Pogacar will not wear the European champion’s jersey as his rainbow jersey takes precedence, but he will surely have another shot at the title on home roads in Ljubljana next year. “It’s a big honour to have such a big race in your home country,” said Pogačar.