After Pogacar’s Roubaix debut at the age of 16, the verdict was harsh: "He’ll end up flipping burgers"

This weekend, one of the biggest stories is Tadej Pogacar's debut in Paris-Roubaix. The world champion will be at the start of the Hell of the North for the first time. Well, the first time... although it was a long time ago, back when he was a rookie in the junior version of the race, the Slovenian from UAE Team Emirates—XRG already rode the cobblestones twice. Old acquaintances reminisce about the current top rider, who was not a standout back then.

Everyone knows that weight is an important factor in Paris-Roubaix. But anyone who thinks Pogacar is now too light for the race should take a look at his debut in 2015. "Tadej was not only a small boy, but he was also not physically developed at all," former national coach Andrej Cimpric recalled to Sporza. "You would never have guessed that Tadej was only 16 years old and riding in the junior category. He was far too frail for that."

Pogacar has already covered the necessary kilometers on the cobblestones in preparation for this Sunday. But it was different back then. "We arrived just one day before the race and could barely scout three lanes. We didn't have any special bikes or tires either, we had to make do with what we had.' But Pogacar's mentality has not changed. He was remarkably calm for his debut at the age of 16. "Everyone is always extremely nervous before their first Paris-Roubaix. Tadej was different in that respect. He may not have shown his stress, but he looked forward to it positively. Tadej also never complained about our inferior equipment or looked for excuses."

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Belgian coach laughed at young Pogacar

It turned out to be quite a test, but for someone with his build, the lack of equipment, and the poor preparation, Pogi did quite well. He finished 30th, just over two minutes behind the winner. "We were pleasantly surprised. Someone of his physique who didn't get a flat tire or crash and finished in a good two minutes: that was better than we had anticipated."

One year later, the Slovenian team returned to Paris-Roubaix. With an extra year of experience and some physical growth, Pogacar was also back. And the preparation was better too. "Then we had a 10-day training camp in Ypres. We rode two races there, and we explored Roubaix in the middle of the week. But he was not seen as a contender. When someone said that 'that Pogacar is a good one,' the Belgian coach laughed it off. 'By the time he's a pro, he'll flip burgers.' That will surely be a wake-up call for him."

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Too small, and poor material, saw competitor: "There was still a lot of room for improvement"

Pogacar fought bravely in 2016. The Slovenian could be seen at the front of the race, fighting for a place in the top 10. Welsey Vercamst rode with him for almost the entire race. "After the Mons-en-Pévèle stretch, we ended up in a group together. It's not like we said anything to each other then. We didn't know each other, and it was a full-on race."

Vercamst finished 14th, one place behind Pogacar. He finished 33 seconds behind winner Jarno Mobach. And that with equipment that was not of the highest quality. "He didn't have the same resources as Jasper Philipsen and Tom Pidcock. How did I see that? The adjustment of his bike, the equipment... There was still a lot of room for improvement.' The Belgian quit road cycling in 2021 and now owns a digital marketing agency. And Pogacar? He is the best cyclist in the world."

His former coach, Cimpric, never would have dared to dream that. "Among ourselves, we said he could become the rider of our country, but we did not expect Tadej to win the Tour de France and all those other monuments. He did not train much during that period, and his body was still not fully developed. But every year Tadej got older, he took three steps forward."

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