Tadej Pogačar facts for kids
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Pogačar in 2024
(current UCI world No.1 – record 182 weeks in total) |
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Tadej Pogačar | ||
| Nickname | Pogi | ||
| Born | 21 September 1998 Komenda, Slovenia |
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| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Weight | 66 kg (146 lb; 10 st 6 lb) | ||
| Team information | |||
| Current team | UAE Team Emirates | ||
| Discipline | Road | ||
| Role | Rider | ||
| Rider type | All-rounder | ||
| Major wins | |||
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Tadej Pogačar (born 21 September 1998) is a professional cyclist from Slovenia. He rides for the UCI WorldTeam UAE Team Emirates. Tadej is known as an "all-rounder" because he is great at many types of cycling races. He can ride fast in time trials, climb mountains, and win tough one-day races.
Some of his biggest wins include the Tour de France three times (2020, 2021, and 2024), the Giro d'Italia in 2024, and the World Championship Road Race in 2024. He has also won seven of cycling's most important one-day races called Monuments.
In 2024, Tadej achieved something very special: the Triple Crown of Cycling. This means he won the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France, and the World Championships all in the same year. Only two other male cyclists have done this before him. Many people compare him to cycling legends like Eddy Merckx because of his amazing skills.
Contents
Tadej's Cycling Journey
Tadej Pogačar was born in Komenda, Slovenia. He started cycling at a young age.
Early Days and First Coach
Tadej joined the Rog Ljubljana cycling club when he was nine years old, following his older brother. In 2011, a famous coach named Andrej Hauptman noticed him. Hauptman saw Tadej chasing much older riders and thought he was struggling. But then he realized Tadej was actually about to pass them! Hauptman became his coach and later joined Tadej's professional team.
Joining UAE Team Emirates (2019-Present)
Tadej joined the UAE Team Emirates team in 2019. Before this, he had already won the Tour de l'Avenir in 2018, a big race for young riders.
2019: Youngest WorldTour Winner
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In 2019, Tadej won the Tour of California. This made him the youngest cyclist ever to win a UCI WorldTour stage race. He also won the Volta ao Algarve.
Later that year, he raced in his first ever Grand Tour, the Vuelta a España. He won three stages and finished third overall. He also won the prize for the best young rider.
2020: First Tour de France Victory
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Tadej made his debut at the Tour de France in 2020. He was supposed to support his teammate, but he quickly showed he was the strongest. He won three stages.
On the second-to-last day, he was 57 seconds behind the leader, Primož Roglič. But in a thrilling time trial on stage 20, Tadej rode incredibly fast. He gained almost two minutes on Roglič and took the yellow jersey! He won the Tour de France at just 21 years old, becoming the second youngest winner ever. He also won the mountains and young rider jerseys, a very rare achievement.
2021: Second Tour Win and Monument Success
Tadej had another amazing year in 2021. He won the UAE Tour, Tirreno–Adriatico, and the Tour of Slovenia. He also won his first "Monument" race, the Liège–Bastogne–Liège.
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He then went on to win his second Tour de France in a row. He won three stages and took the yellow jersey early in the race. He kept a big lead over his rivals, showing how strong he was. He again won the mountains and young rider jerseys.
After the Tour, Tadej won a bronze medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. He finished the season by winning his second Monument, the Giro di Lombardia. This made him one of only a few riders to win two Monuments and the Tour in the same year.
2022: Tour Runner-Up and More Wins
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In 2022, Tadej continued to win many races. He defended his titles at the UAE Tour and Tirreno–Adriatico. He also won the famous Strade Bianche race with a long solo attack.
He made his debut in a "cobbled classic" race, the Tour of Flanders, and finished fourth. In the Tour de France, he won three stages and wore the yellow jersey for several days. However, he lost time on a tough mountain stage and finished second overall to Jonas Vingegaard.
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After the Tour, he won the GP Montréal and successfully defended his Giro di Lombardia title. He ended the 2022 season with 16 wins, the most of any male cyclist.
2023: Tour Runner-Up and Tour of Flanders Win
Tadej started 2023 very strong. He won the Vuelta a Andalucía and Paris-Nice, beating his rival Jonas Vingegaard. He then made history by winning the Tour of Flanders. This made him only the third male cyclist to win both the Tour de France and Tour of Flanders.
He continued his winning streak by taking the Amstel Gold Race and La Flèche Wallonne. This meant he had won all three major Ardennes classics races.
Unfortunately, he crashed at the start of Liège–Bastogne–Liège and broke his wrist. This injury affected his preparation for the Tour de France. Despite this, he still won two stages and finished second overall, also winning the young rider jersey for a record fourth time. To finish the season, he won his third straight Giro di Lombardia.
2024: The Triple Crown of Cycling
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Tadej planned a very ambitious 2024 season, aiming to win both the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France. He also wanted to win the World Championships road race. Winning all three in one year is known as the Triple Crown of Cycling, a very rare achievement.
He started the year by winning the Strade Bianche with a long solo attack. He then won the Volta a Catalunya and his second Liège–Bastogne–Liège.
In the Giro d'Italia, Tadej was the favorite. He won six stages and took the pink jersey (leader's jersey) early on. He kept a huge lead and won the Giro by almost 10 minutes, also winning the mountains classification.
He then went on to win the Tour de France, completing the rare Giro-Tour double. He wore the yellow jersey from stage 4 until the end and won six stages. This made him the first non-sprinter since 1938 to win three stages in a row at the Tour.
After a short break, Tadej won the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal. Then, at the UCI World Championships, he made a shocking attack with over 100 km left and rode solo for the final 50 km to win the gold medal and the rainbow jersey. This victory completed his Triple Crown of Cycling.
He finished his amazing season by winning his fourth Giro di Lombardia title. Tadej ended 2024 with 25 wins, and many people consider his 2024 season to be the greatest ever in cycling.
Comparisons to Eddy Merckx
Many people compare Tadej Pogačar to Eddy Merckx, one of the greatest cyclists of all time. Merckx was known as "The Cannibal" because he won so much.
After Tadej's big win at the 2020 Tour de France, some cycling experts started saying he was like Merckx. Even Merckx himself called Tadej "the new Cannibal" and said he could win the Tour de France many times.
In 2024, after Tadej won the Giro, the Tour, and the World Championships, the comparisons grew even stronger. Merckx said that Tadej's performance at the World Championships was "above me," showing how impressed he was.
Personal Life
Tadej grew up in Klanec, a small town near Ljubljana, Slovenia. His mother is a French teacher, and his father worked in a factory. Tadej is one of four children. He speaks both Slovenian and English very well.
He lives in Monaco with his partner, Urška Žigart, who is also a professional cyclist. They got engaged in 2021. Tadej's cycling heroes growing up were Alberto Contador and the Schleck brothers, Fränk and Andy Schleck.
Awards
- Vélo d'Or: 2021, 2024 (This award is for the best cyclist of the year)
- Eddy Merckx Trophy: 2024 (Named after the cycling legend)
- International Flandrien of the Year: 2021, 2022 (Award for the best international rider in Belgian races)
Images for kids
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Pogačar winning a Slovenian cyclo-cross race in Ljubljana (2021)
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See also
In Spanish: Tadej Pogačar para niños
