'Start saying no' - Froome advises Pogacar to avoid burnout

There was much comment about Tedej Pogačar’s withdrawn, even sullen attitude towards the end of the Tour de France. Some suggested he was being rude or disrespectful, while others were convinced the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider was just exhausted. 

Since the end of the race Pogačar himself has said he’s “counting the years until retirement.” While almost every rider in the pro peloton would love his ability, let alone a palmarès which includes four Tours de France, one rainbow jersey and nine Monuments, Pogačar appears a little jaded.

Currently riding for Israel-Premier Tech, Chris Froome was by no means as dominant as Pogačar, even in his pomp, but he is the only other four-time Tour winner still competing and recognises what the Slovenian is going through.

"I have to be honest I didn't pay much attention to how Pogačar looked, but I think it was normal for him to look tired,” Froome told BiciPro. 

“He's been racing at a high level forever, and more so every year. In fact, every year something more is asked of him. In a certain sense, I see myself in that a little. I remember that when I won the Tour de France, Vuelta, and Giro d'Italia in 2017 and 2018, I arrived in France feeling tired and mentally exhausted, despite still being in good condition.” 

And it was that edition of the Tour which precipitated Froome’s gradual slide from his place at the top of the sport, finishing third in Paris, behind Sky team mate Geraint Thomas.

“You realise you have to start saying 'no' to something or at least plan your season differently than before. This is clearly my point of view. For me, based on my experience, the only way to stay clear-headed and focused after so many years of repetitive work is motivation. Having new stimuli helps you keep your goals in mind, but be careful about what I said before. You shouldn't push yourself too hard mentally, because that's very demanding and makes everything more difficult.”

Pogačar has, to an extent at least, done that this year. In 2024 stage races were very much his focus. He won the Volta a Catalunya and dominated the Giro d’Italia before winning the his third Tour de France. The only Spring Classic he rode last year was Liège-Bastogne-Liège, which he won, a huge contrast to this year when he rode seven one-day races, winning four and never finishing off the podium.

By contrast, Froome has only raced multi-day events this year, without success. The Briton's contract expires this year, though he has yet to confirm if this will be his final season. He is more certain, however, of his plans beyond the end of his racing career.

"My contract is expiring and I don't know if I'll continue or not. Certainly, when I retire, as I've said for some time, I want to open a cycling school in Africa. I want to allow many young people to ride and pursue a career. I think it's a growing continent, especially in that part of Africa," Froome said.

“I'm thinking of the Ethiopian or Kenyan marathon and middle-distance runners. I think there are talents like that who are also suitable for cycling, they just haven't had the opportunity to race before. I won't be racing the World Championships in Rwanda, and it's clear that I would have liked to be there, but it's not a big problem because it doesn't change my plans. My real goal is to develop a great project that I am convinced will bring interesting new riders."