Pogacar stands in front of peloton as world champion and has no mercy for organization: "Everyone laughed and said nothing"

Tadej Pogacar has only worn the rainbow jersey for a short while, but the UAE Team Emirates Slovenian took the lead in front of the peloton in the completely rained-out Tre Valli Varesine on Tuesday. When the roads on the local circuit around Varese were no longer accessible on the second lap, Pogacar spoke with the organization, and they were forced to pull the plug on the race. Pogi joined an extra press conference afterward and did not spare the organization. IDLProCycling.com followed it closely.

"I can speak for all the riders," opened Pogacar, who thus acted as the voice of the peloton. "I soon realized that we wanted to cancel the race. It wasn't safe; I saw that myself. The first descent was immediately dangerous. The road wasn't great, which can be problematic even in dry conditions. Now, it was extra tricky. It wasn't even wet; it was just a lake. Water was coming from left and right on the road, and the drain covers were popping up."

Pogacar stressed that it was a small miracle that no riders already crashed in the two descents the peloton did in Varese. "If you can't see the road under the water, some crashes could occur. Those could have been heavy crashes on a straight road; then you're talking brain damage or more... There were so many flat tires and broken wheels; I immediately heard that. We could have kept going, but you never know when something might happen. In that case, we would have been targeted and not the organization. And we don't want another situation like with Muriel Furrer," the world champion was referring to the death of the 18-year-old Swiss after a crash at the World Cycling Championships.

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Tadej Pogacar during the press conference after Tre Valli Varesine

Pogacar and peloton already anticipated problems with water

That all had turned out well, resulting in happy faces. Pogacar, however, sounded harsh when it came to the Tre Valli Varesine strike. "We were already talking last Saturday at the Giro dell'Emilia about how much rain would fall today. Everyone laughed and said nothing, but something should have been done. With two races in one day, you shouldn't have canceled one. You could have allowed the women to race on the track in the morning and let us start earlier. Then you would have had two winners now, although that's easy talk in hindsight. The best solution would have been a shorter race on the circuit."

Pogacar said the same thing immediately after the race at Cycling Pro Net. "The weather was awful beforehand. When we started the race, there were already seven flat tires and a broken wheel in the neutralization. Nevertheless, we tried to race, with two laps less. We did that as long as we could. Then I was on the descent, behind Alessandro Covi, and we just couldn't see where we were going. We were just cycling with our feet in the water. There was a good dialogue with the organization; it was hard for them, and they shed tears. There were great riders at the start, but it was impossible. They understood, and we are grateful for that. There was good communication."

Pogacar didn't realize that the organization would have liked to do another round. "I'm no meteorologist, but I've been on my bike often in the rain. Maybe it stops raining for a while, but the water on the road doesn't run off in a few hours. In floods, the water stays there. The rain and temperature were not the problems; the drainage was full, and you can't continue."

Pogacar in conversation with organization

Pogacar gets trophy, prize money goes to cyclists Varese

In recognition of his transparency, support, and words, Pogacar was presented with the trophy for the 2024 edition by Tre Valli Varesine president Renzo Oldani, who was not awarded in the end. "We have worked for 11 months to make it a spectacle, so unfortunately, things did not end as we had hoped. We accepted the riders' decision because we prioritize safety."

The trophy was signed by Pogacar and donated to a cycling club with cycling talents in Varese. "I will return next year with pleasure," he concluded.

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