Me vs Tadej Pogačar: how I fared against the world’s greatest cyclist

The nerves were palpable. Some riders zipped up their gilets to ward off the morning chill, while others stripped off theirs. Shoe fastenings were tightened up another ratchet, gears and free hubs clicked as they received a final check. If there had been a time to wonder whether signing up to take on the seemingly unstoppable Pogačar on his home turf was really such a great idea, it was now too late for anyone – including this correspondent – to change their minds.

The concept was simple. We would join the reigning World, European and four-time Tour de France champion on a deceptively gentle, short ride to the foot of the mountain. At that point, Pogačar would pause for a vaguely defined “few minutes”, to let the mass of amateurs start the climb ahead of him. Then he would do what he usually does – ride with ruthless efficiency to hunt down and pass all his would-be challengers.

It was to be his final race of the season, having mopped up his third one-day “monument” of the year in the previous day’s Giro di Lombardia, a fifth consecutive win in the event to match the record of the legendary Italian campionissimo, Fausto Coppi. The Pogi Challenge was set to be a lifetime highlight for many of those on the starting line. But for the man himself, it was little more than a cool down session, finishing with a mountain-top party.

That is not how most of us were viewing the climb up Krvavec. At just under 15km, it is not much for a car, but a fearsome prospect for anyone relying on pedal power. Without a couple of short downhill sections, the average gradient would comfortably exceed the official figure of 7.6%. Participants hoping for a smooth, steady climb were swiftly disabused by the profile on the event’s website. It showed the gradient peaking at 26% within the first kilometre – and briefly reaching a diabolical 41% in a bruising kicker just before the finish line.

If that sounds like a nightmare, for the challengers it was the stuff of dreams. They each paid at least €125 for the experience, with a handful stumping up €5,000 for the full VIP package including the chance to ride up front with the champion en route to the climb. The cash goes towards funding Pogačar’s cycling club for children, Pogi Team, which he views as more of a social activity than a project to ensure enduring Slovenian domination of world cycling.

“The chance of any of these kids making it at the top of the sport is very small,” he told me after his latest Tour de France victory. “But if I can set them up with a lifelong love of cycling, that’s a win.”

Riders came from 36 countries for the privilege of testing their legs against the rider who is certainly the best of his generation – and well on his way to securing his status as the all-time great. Tang Lei travelled further than most, 25 hours from China’s southern Guangdong province, and had no doubts about Pogačar’s place in the pantheon.

“Tadej is the best of all time,” he said. “There are millions of Pogi fans in China. He’s very strong, and his character is always attacking, always going forward, never looking back. My wife said, ‘if you don’t go, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life’.”

Tang claimed not to have done any special preparation for the ride, but his Specialized S-Works Tarmac – favoured by Slovenia’s other cycling superstar Primoz Roglic and worth more than £13,000 – and the slenderness of his figure in his skin-tight event jersey marked him down as a serious contender.

Slovenian father-and-daughter pair Marko and Ema Sersen also looked the part astride the Merida bikes deployed by the Bahrain Victorious team and ridden to numerous major wins by yet another Slovenian talent, Matej Mohoric. Clocking the pricey Pinarello, BMC and Bianchi steeds around me, I was starting to feel like something of an impostor on my comparatively humble and borrowed Fuji Gran Fondo.

“We cycle all year,” confirmed Marko, before Ema confessed, not entirely seriously, that they had done a recce up Krvavec to check the best place to attack Pogačar.

“We’re so lucky to live in the same era as Pogi and Primoz,” Marko said. “When I watched the Tour de France when I was young, I could not imagine that a Slovenian would be in the first ten, never mind the best in the world.”

“He represents Slovenia so well,” added Ema. “To cycle with him is crazy, it’s priceless – but just enjoy it, because no-one can compete with Pogačar.”

Certainly not a British journalist whose regular challenge is nothing more than targeting Strava segments on the return leg of the school run. But taking a humble approach to Krvavec paid dividends – spinning a low gear meant at least I looked smooth for the cameras as Pogi cruised past within the first two kilometres.

Andrew Feather did rather better. The Bath-based lawyer wearing 666 climbed as if chased by the devil himself – and was the only rider not to see the back of the World Champion’s rainbow jersey in a staggering time of 44 mins 38 secs. Admittedly, he is about to defend his title in the British Hill Climb Championship – but over a course of just 800 metres. So, he was just as stunned with his victory as the thousands of Pogi fans peering through the mountain-top mist to cheer their idol over the line.

“I kept looking over my shoulder at the end, thinking he’s going to come up pretty quick,” he said. “Overall, he was quicker than me on the climb, but I crossed the line first, so I’ll take that. It’s fantastic – seeing the climb he rode on when he was a youngster. I can walk away saying I’ve shaken his hand and got the trophy from him.”

In fact, this was one race Pogačar seemed happy to lose, as he personally handed over first prize on the stage with an enormous grin – paying generous tribute to the victor before cheerfully conceding, “you can’t win them all”. He told me his aim had been to “finish the season like this as a thank you to all the people who support me,” and was planning some downtime with friends and family, before a planning meeting with his UAE Emirates team in December.

His professional competitors might be hoping that, having won so much by the age of 27, Pogi would be taking that relaxed attitude into next season. But the tidings were as grim as the final ramps up Krvavec.

“If you love what you do, motivation shouldn’t be difficult,” he said. “I’m pretty open for everything.”

Would-be Pogi challengers: consider yourselves warned.

Photograph by Zan Osim