Escape Collective contributor Andy McGrath has released the first comprehensive biography of Tadej Pogačar, Tadej Pogačar: Unstoppable. Below is an edited excerpt highlighting his carefree teenage years as he moved steadily toward WorldTour stardom.
In the winter of 2017, Rog-Ljubljana was rebranded as Ljubljana Gusto Xaurum after Taiwanese bike company Gusto and Slovenian cryptocurrency firm Xaurum joined as sponsors.
At the opening race of 2018, the GP Laguna Poreč, Pogačar battled brutal conditions: –1°C (30°F), icy rain, and snowfall. His hands were so numb he could hardly chew an energy bar, yet he still made the decisive breakaway with Jaka Primožič and finished fifth. Afterward, he climbed into the team van and begged for the heater to be turned up even though it was already on full blast, he was still shivering as if he were outside.
Training often felt like racing. If someone slipped off the back, the group never eased up. During one ride with the junior squad, a coach suddenly surged up a climb, sparking more attacks and splitting the group at the summit. A young rider crashed on the slick, winding descent while trying to chase back but no one waited. “He knows the way home,” the coach shouted as they charged downhill.
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