Outright bizarre: these figures about jerseys, attacks, and victories tell how good Pogacar is in 2024

That 2024 is the year of Tadej Pogacar was already clear. The Slovenian won both the Giro and the Tour, secured twelve stage victories in those races, won one-day classics in Italy, Belgium, and Canada, and to top it all off, he added the World Championship to his achievements. It seems it can't get any better than that. And there are plenty of statistics to back that up.

The statistics compiled by Het Nieuwsblad highlight just how exceptional Pogacar has been this year. The newly crowned world champion spent over 700 kilometers in attack during his races—an absurdly high figure, especially when you consider that not too long ago, races were mostly won through late breakaways. On 23 of his 55 race days, Pogacar crossed the finish line with his arms raised in victory, achieving a win ratio of over forty percent.

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An absolute ruler in the Grand Tours and a relentless competitor who even surpasses bigger teams

Now, let's talk about the Grand Tours. Out of the 42 stages Pogacar raced in the Giro and the Tour de France, he wore the leader’s jersey—either the pink or the yellow—on 39 days. An unprecedented number, and unsurprisingly, also a record. Eddy Merckx managed to wear the leader's jersey for a total of 37 days in the Giro and Tour back in 1970.

Perhaps an even more astounding fact: with his 23 victories, Pogacar is more successful in WorldTour races than any other team in the top cycling division—by himself! Visma | Lease a Bike, despite a year full of misfortune, secured 18 WorldTour wins, while Alpecin-Deceuninck achieved 15. Many teams don’t even come close to Pogacar. In fact, ten teams, including Movistar and EF Education-EasyPost, managed less than 20% of Pogacar's victory total.

And finally, here’s an interesting tidbit for all cycling enthusiasts. Do you regularly compete for a local record, aiming for that coveted crown on a nearby segment? Are you a KOM (King of the Mountain) hunter? Look no further. In all his races this year, Pogacar achieved a total of 614 KOMs. This includes, of course, the climb to Witikon, where the world champion ascended at over 35 km/h on his way to victory at the World Championships last Sunday.