Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia) found himself in a truly elite selection in the final laps of the World Championships Road Race in Glasgow, eventually settling for bronze behind a blistering solo effort from Mathieu van der Poel and a last-minute attack from silver medallist Wout van Aert.
“It was one of one of the hardest days on the bike,” Pogačar said afterward. “I mean, one of the hardest races, and I can say that I'm really, really happy to finish on the podium next to these names.”
Pogačar’s effort in the finale was such that he entered the initial mixed zone feeling physically unwell. “I feel like complete shit, if I’m honest,” he said to broadcasters.
However, by the time of his arrival at the press conference a short while later, his spirits and health had improved. “I'm really 100 times better than 20 minutes ago,” he said “If I'm honest. I felt really sick since the finish until like ten mins ago. I was really feeling really, really bad and I just wanted to go lie in my bed and do nothing. Now I'm feeling much better.”
Pogačar made repeated attacks in the final laps in Glasgow. Riding in a group with Van Aert, Van der Poel and Mads Pedersen, Pogačar was conscious that he would need to avoid a four-way sprint finish. “I knew that I didn't have a lot of chances in the last lap,” Pogačar said. “I tried a couple of times to attack on the climbs, but they were really strong and I'm not stronger than Wout and Mathieu.
“I was dreaming about medals and I was dreaming about a gold medal, but Mathieu was the strongest. So when we stayed three I was already seeing me as the fourth, because sprinting with Wout and Mads is almost mission impossible. But after such long and tough race anything can happen.”
Pogačar surprised many onlookers when he outsprinted Pedersen. “It was really working that sprint so I could manage with a long sprint to overcome Mads,” Pogačar explained. “It's a shame though – everybody in this in this group deserves a medal. I would wish [Pedersen] a medal, but there are only three medals.”
Despite some apprehensions around the course, Pogačar enjoyed the style of racing which he considered a throwback to the criteriums of his youth. “I really like city street racing. When we were kids, younger, we race a lot of criteriums in our hometowns,” he said. “I enjoy really a lot this kind of parcours in the corners, in the city, up and down. It's not perfect for me, but I was enjoying it until I wasn't enjoying it anymore.”
While Pogačar found himself isolated without national teammates in the city centre laps, he credited the Slovenian team for supporting his ride and position in the early parts of the race. “We tried to be as much as possible to the front but everybody today they wanted to be in the front and take a good spot coming to the laps,” he said. “There were a few times through the day that they support me really well in the team, so I cannot say I didn't have a team. They were really, really great.”
Despite being outnumbered by four Belgians and two Dutch riders in the final kilometres, Pogačar considered the race “man-on-man more or less for the last 100km.”
Speaking about Van der Poel’s decisive attack, though, Pogačar spoke with reverence. “He is crazy,” he said. “Incredible. Really nobody had any response to his attack and just how he rode away after also even crashing. We just say goodbye Mathieu and that's it. Really well-deserved winner.”
