Spotted on Strava: We don't want to discourage the Giro peloton, but these are Tadej Pogacar's numbers

In a spring dominated by discussions about Mathieu van der Poel's limited race days, Pogacar still managed a commendable second place. While the world champion in Liège-Bastogne-Liège completed his seventh race day of 2024, Pogacar only saw action for the tenth time at Liège. Thus, the two most successful riders of the year's early months have proven that the adage "less is more" was coined for a reason. The burning question ahead of the Giro d'Italia: How impressive was Pogacar in the races he did participate in? It's time for an in-depth analysis of Pogacar's Giro-Strava data!

And how well he fared! Strade Bianche 2024 etched itself into the history books as never before had anyone dared to break away more than eighty kilometers from the finish line and solo to victory in Siena. It all began on the Monte Sante Marie ascent, 11.49 kilometers in length with two monstrously steep climbs nestled within. UAE-Team Emirates upped the pace, launching their leader in the process, and amidst a hailstorm, the Slovenian forged ahead. When he glanced back, not a soul was in sight.

This came as no surprise, considering Pogacar's extraordinary effort on Monte Sante Marie. He conquered the entire stretch in just 19 minutes and 8 seconds, averaging an impressive 36.0 kilometers per hour and securing a remarkable Strava-KOM. Tom Pidcock accomplished it a year earlier during his victory in 20 minutes and 12 seconds, which would have been over a minute slower than Pogacar's time now. And all this despite fierce conditions and heavy rain in the preceding days, rendering the route slick and treacherous.

During his 80-kilometer solo breakaway, Pogacar eventually widened his lead to 2.44 minutes over the runner-up. As the race neared its conclusion, he even had time to celebrate, exchanging fist bumps with fans and smiling for the cameras. His entire solo escapade averaged an impressive 38.9 kilometers per hour, conquering the toughest terrain of Strade Bianche 2024 with ease. Any suggestions that the rest of the field didn't give their best or weren't up to par in terms of performance level are unfounded. Maxim Van Gils posted the third fastest time ever on Monte Sante Marie, but even that was no match for Pogacar's dominance.

"I tried to attack twice because I had incredible legs," Pogacar said after Milan-Sanremo, a week following his victory in Tuscany. However, he couldn't shake off the competition on the Poggio, and so it was Jasper Philipsen who claimed victory, not him. Milan-Sanremo is not dubbed the hardest race to win for nothing, as Pogacar, despite his strong performance, demonstrated three days prior to La Primavera.

He tackled the Poggio in 5.25 minutes at an average speed of 40.2 kilometers per hour, six seconds faster than the fastest time during the actual race. Pogacar's training ride even garnered attention on Strava, labeled under the heading: 'this can't be true.' Additionally, Pogacar also ascended the Cipressa midweek during training, clocking several seconds faster than in the race on Saturday. Of course, this was a 132-kilometer workout, not the actual 288-kilometer race.

During the race, Pogacar struggled to maintain his position, partly due to UAE-Team Emirates' faltering performance as a team on the Cipressa, and Mathieu van der Poel's formidable strength on the Poggio, preventing any significant breakaways. However, aided by a tailwind, all the King of the Mountain records were shattered: on the Poggio climb, the climb plus descent, and Pogacar even achieved a personal best in the downhill segment. Despite this, it wasn't enough, and the UAE leader will undoubtedly need to work even harder to outperform the competition in the years to come.

The day after Milan-Sanremo, Pogacar traveled to Catalonia for a seven-day stage race. Perhaps it was the transition, but in the first stage, he allowed Nick Schultz to take the lead. However, of the remaining six stages, Pogacar went on to win four. A notable performance came on day two, with the finish at Vallter 2000: 12.05 kilometers at an average gradient of 7.7 percent, completed in the freezing cold in just 30 minutes and 47 seconds. This was a remarkable 27 seconds faster than the Strava-KOM holders Remco Evenepoel, Primoz Roglic, and stage winner Giulio Ciccone achieved in 2023.

He repeated his success a day later at Port Ainé, this time covering 18.29 kilometers at a gradient of 6.5 percent. Despite a bold attack by Mikel Landa, Pogacar countered and powered on solo. The old Strava-KOM set by Michael Woods in 2021 was 47 minutes and 40 seconds. However, since the Tour of Catalonia, the new Strava-KOM stands at an impressive 46 minutes and 2 seconds.Cuckoo!

The highlight of the week came not on day two or three, but undoubtedly on day six. Despite already holding a 2.27-minute lead, Pogacar showed no signs of slowing down. After setting a fresh Strava-KOM (duhuh!) on the Coll de Pradell, Pogacar left everyone trailing behind on the Collada Sant Isidre. He stormed away on a climb of just under five kilometers, opening up a lead of nearly a minute. This lead remained intact until the finish line. On the final day, he sealed his quartet of victories with a sprint finish in Barcelona.

The culmination of an impressive spring occurred last Sunday in Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Similar to Catalunya, he had never won that race either. The manner in which he conquered La Doyenne was once again truly remarkable. UAE-Team Emirates controlled the race throughout the day, accelerating at strategic moments and launching their leader on La Redoute. In just four minutes, Pogi reached the summit, with no one even close to his wheel.

Although he didn't immediately break any Strava records, one still stands with Jarno Widar holding a one-second advantage. However, whereas Widar's pace slowed after the top of La Redoute, Pogacar actually gained most of his time in the stretch following it. Similar to Remco Evenepoel's performance in 2023, including the climb of Cornemont. Pogacar was six seconds faster than Evenepoel on that segment a year earlier. More significantly, Pogacar was approximately three-quarters of a minute faster there than his closest pursuers.

What ensued was another solo effort, this time spanning approximately 35 kilometers. He powered through the finale at an impressive average speed of 43.2 kilometers per hour, ultimately finishing ahead of the runner-up, Romain Bardet, by 1.39 minutes. This was a definitive statement ahead of the Giro d'Italia, where Pogacar will commence in better form than ever. On Strava, he didn't share data from all the training days completed between his 10 race days. This might be advantageous for the competition in the Giro as well, so as not to discourage them too much.