Pogacar 'beaten' by amateur: World champion finishes second in his own ‘Pogi Challenge’
The world champion finally lost a race. Just one day after his solo victory at Il Lombardia, Tadej Pogačar lined up for the ‘Pogi Challenge’ in Slovenia, taking on more than a thousand amateur cyclists on one of his country’s toughest climbs. Starting five minutes behind the field, he chased through the pack and passed nearly everyone except one man.
The event began with a short speech from the home hero before 1,188 riders from 36 different countries rolled out for the 24-kilometre course. The opening nine kilometres were flat, followed by almost fifteen kilometres of climbing at an average gradient of 7.6 percent. The final ascent of Krvavec, leading to a popular ski resort, was a symbolic one for Pogačar. It was the same mountain where he won his very first youth race back in 2009, long before he became one of the best riders in cycling history.
With UAE teammate Domen Novak leading him in the early kilometres, Pogačar began his chase in trademark style. One by one, he picked off riders, powering up the steep gradients as fans cheered him on. By the time he reached the summit, he had overtaken 1,187 riders, recording the fastest ever time up the climb. But one amateur refused to be caught.
Andrew Feather, a 40-year-old British rider from Bath, is no ordinary amateur. A lightweight at 63 kilograms and 175 centimetres tall, the lawyer and hill climb specialist posted a time of 44:15, almost four minutes ahead of the second amateur and three minutes faster than Pogačar himself, who reached the finish in 40:44.
Asked at the top whether UAE should offer Feather a contract, Pogačar laughed. “Our team is already full,” he said. “But if someone can climb that fast, you can always use them. Maybe he never wanted to be a pro. Everyone has their own path.”
For once, the Slovenian superstar had to settle for second. A rare sight after a run that saw him win the World Championships in Rwanda, the European Championships in France and Il Lombardia, all by riding away alone.
Later this week, Pogačar will line up again for a unique race, this time against Jonas Vingegaard, Primož Roglič and Isaac Del Toro in the first edition of the Andorra Cycling Masters, a new two-race showdown featuring an uphill time trial on the Coll de la Gallina and a short urban race through Andorra la Vella.
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