Riis on Pogacar's dominance and other teams "complaining": "Then do something about it"

Bjarne Riis has made his stance clear on the current state of cycling. At a time when Tadej Pogacar has repeatedly shown that he stands head and shoulders above the competition, Riis has little patience for the criticism directed at the Slovenian’s extraordinary level. According to the Dane, instead of focusing on complaints, cycling teams need to adopt more strategic thinking to defeat Pogacar.

As a rider, Riis achieved plenty of success, though not always under the cleanest circumstances. Later, as a team manager and team leader, he delivered impressive results, albeit not without controversy. True to the saying "you can’t keep a good man down," Riis remains a seasoned voice in the sport, unafraid to share his strong opinions.

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Riis

Teams should complain less about Pogacar's dominance, but work more strategically

Riis believes cycling teams need to use more intelligence and creativity to bridge the gap, as he explained on the Café Eddy podcast. "It's not forbidden to be smart and creative. If you're competing against someone stronger than you, the only way to beat them is to be smarter. Everyone complains instead of thinking strategically."

When it comes to the current state of cycling, Riis has his doubts about how teams are responding to Pogacar's success. He suggests many teams fail to think strategically enough and instead focus on complaining about the competition’s strength. "Well, then do something about it," Riis says.

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Teams must be more strategic to beat Pogacar

Riis uncompromising on his philosophy, sees no logic in returning to cycling leadership

Riis also shared his clear vision for his own future in cycling. After years of playing a leading role as a team manager and building one of the best teams in the world, the man from Herning, a city in Denmark, has no plans to return to the role of sports director. "I’ve tried it and see no reason to do it again. I feel like I’ve faced too much resistance when it comes to my philosophy. I have a clear idea of how to coach, how to manage a team, and how things should be done. I don’t want to compromise on that."

The Dane also expressed frustration with the constant discussions and disagreements in cycling. "Why should I engage in arguments? Patrick Lefevere told me, 'But Bjarne, cycling is different today.' Well, I really don’t believe that," concluded a candid Riis.

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