Live images of 🇸🇮 Tadej Pogacar's successful Coll de Rates KOM attack! 🚀 🎬 Alexander Depoorter
Pogacar intimidates competition just before Christmas dinner with the most prestigious KOM in the training area
CyclingFriday, 20 December 2024 at 17:30
For one last time, Tadej Pogacar gave the world a display of dominance, during one of his last bike rides of 2024. The Slovenian world champion of UAE-Team Emirates cycled from Benidorm to Valencia Airport after his team’s training camp in Spain... And decided to squeeze in a small (aka massive) effort along the way.
Pogacar managed to claim the Strava KOM on the Coll de Rates, one of the most famous and frequently visited climbs in the Spanish hinterland where all WorldTour teams set up their winter camps. The Slovenian completed the 6.43-kilometer climb, which averages a gradient of 5.5%, in 12 minutes and 21 seconds.
The man in the rainbow jersey snatched the crown from INEOS Dane Peter Oxenberg with a 17-second lead. With that, he also seriously outdid other notable riders like Jonas Vingegaard. The Visma | Lease a Bike rider impressed his current team with his time of 13 minutes and 2 seconds a few years ago, which sparked their interest at the time. This is another signal of the prestige and authority the Rates climb carries within the peloton, though it should be noted that amateur footage suggests his team provided some assistance during that effort.
Read more below the video!
Pogacar rode from the team hotel to the airport
Pogacar tackled the Rates climb during his ride from the UAE-Team Emirates team hotel to Valencia Airport, which is already quite a ride in itself. "Going home," the Tour winner captioned his 205-kilometer ride through Spain. Pogacar completed the distance in just under 5.5 hours. A very solid performance for mid-December.
During the UAE-Team Emirates training camp, Pogacar revealed his 2025 race schedule, which includes a compact spring campaign, the Tour de France, and the World Championships. Later on, he will decide between the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España as his second Grand Tour, once the Italian race finalizes its route in early January.
Tadej Pogacar grabs KOM on Coll de Rates
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Latest Comments
- I wish we could have seen him try. He'd absolutely get dropped before Pogi overtakes his domestiquesVeganpotter10-12-2024
- Talk is cheap! Next year barring crashes with a healthy team... all well be on track! Some need to talk to make a headline!mootman27-11-2024
- I do not see this event listed on HBO Max Sports Online? Can anyone confirm? Thanks!
MrYuck23-11-2024 - It seemed that he was focusing forward at the time of the crash, after seeing a quick video snippet. But one thing I think he should focus on more intently is breaking a bad habit he has, right now. And that is his constant looking over his shoulders. He does that so much, that I am very sure it is not good for him. Simply watch videos of the greats of CX and you will see very little of that constant looking over their shoulders. That is a behavior that betrays a bit of insecurity on his part. He shouldn't be so concerned, incessantly, about what is over his shoulder. He needn't worry they didn't all disappear. He neds to keep his focus more ahead of himself, and he needs to pay a bit more attention to himself, in a confident manner. It is very frustrating to watch, because it is apparent that he has a lot of potential, and is in much better shape thwan many of his competitors, but the mental game needs to be sharpened more, because that part of strategy plays a huge part in the final results
reemmo022-11-2024 - hahahaha love this shit! I didnt even watched the race, but reading all the gossip articles of how stupid this is!Zatoichi19-11-2024
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024
- This is not a gravel race. UCI fail, from the surface they are on to team tactics. In what country was the first "gravel race" in what country is the most popular gravel race? Go with the race model that created the discipline.
Barnes127411-10-2024 - And don't forget he has now won 4 of the big 10 races (Grand tours, Monuments and WC/OG) in one year with a chance to make that 5. (5 has only been done once before)Joostmehrtens05-10-2024