Lampaert questions logic behind Pogacar's ‘crazy’ long solo attacks
Tadej Pogacar keeps winning in ways that don’t always make sense on paper. His long, early attacks have become a defining feature of modern cycling, but not everyone in the peloton is convinced by the logic behind them. Yves Lampaert, one of the more experienced voices in the classics, openly questions the approach in an interview with het Laatste Nieuws.
“Omloop, Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo were quite demonstrative in that sense. Van der Poel rides maybe a bit more calculated, more reasoned. But Pogačar, man… how long was he out front again in Tuscany? 78 kilometers? Crazy. And it’s not a one-off. I’ve often wondered what the tactical benefit is of such incredibly long solos,” Lampaert said to Het Laatste Nieuws.
It is not criticism as much as confusion. In a peloton built around control, timing and marginal gains, Pogačar often seems to operate outside that framework.
“Temperament, that’s what it is,” he says. “If you’re that strong and have that much left, you could also wait longer with your attack and benefit from teammates or rivals. This costs your body tons of energy. Is there a specific training approach behind it? Do they know his penultimate effort is better than his last? Is it to avoid potential dangers? I don’t know.”
What is clear to Lampaert is that the sport itself has moved on. The numbers tell part of the story, but so does the way riders are developed.
“It’s simple. With the wattages I pushed four or five years ago, I would ride away from the peloton. Now I can at best follow. It’s not that I’ve become worse. The overall level has risen. Guidance is more professional. As a young rider I trained without a heart rate monitor. Only at Quick-Step did I discover the power meter. Now they use it already in youth categories.”
At 35, Lampaert knows his role has evolved with the sport. Less about being the outright finisher, more about experience, positioning and guiding younger riders. Still, there are personal goals left.
“Paris-Roubaix remains a race close to my heart. You’re allowed to dream, right? You have to, even. If there is one Monument that suits me and where everything can come together, it’s that one. If I win one in my career, it will be completely successful.”
He is also realistic about the timeline. The end is no longer abstract.
“In cycling, the retirement age is a bit lower than 65, right. I hope I can keep going until I’m 38. That would be a nice age to finish. It would make me proud and happy. Three more years, in other words. 2029 is the farewell year I have in mind.”
Join our WhatsApp service
Be first to know. Subscribe to Domestique on WhatsApp for free and stay up to date with all the latest from the world of cycling.
