Absent from the Vuelta, disappeared from radars from the Tour de France … Tadej Pogacar in the face of the weariness of the one who won almost everything

The Slovenian, surrounded by a fourth Tour de France, has revealed, even during the large loop, a form of spleen. At the dawn of the second part of his career, he will have to draw psychologically to keep himself permanently at the top.

Will the Tour de France 2025 be that of the Tadej Pogacar career? It is almost dared to utter this against the winner of a fourth large loop, but it was he who played the first notes of a form of weariness in July. The Slovenian, who will shine by his absence on the Tour of Spain, which begins on Saturday, had dropped this surprising sentence on August 10: “I started counting for years until my retirement.”

At 26, Tadej Pogacar, will start his eighth professional season next year. With now four coronations on the Tour de France and 104 professional victories, he has already finished the game, since only Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix still resist him. He who hitherto married with pleasure all the codes of cycling ultimately caught up in a form of shortness of breath? “You must have a certain tolerance for boredom to hold these long distances, it is a profession where we are in permanent wandering “observe Jean-Christophe Seznecformer expert psychologist expert from the French Cycling Federation and author of Sport, psychology of a passion (Ed. Odile Jacob).

“And the problem is that cycling has industrialized. THE Cyclists have earplugs all the time, they are more and more remote -controlled. It is difficult when you only become cog in industrial sports mechanics to find motivation. Because it is already a sport where there is not much space of freedom“continues the doctor, specialist in sport psychology.

Questioned in mid-August on this subject, one of his predecessors in the list of the Grande Boucle, Chris Froome had nodded. “”It has always run at a high level. In fact, each year, he is asked for something more. In a way, I find myself a little in there. Having new stimulii makes it possible not to lose sight of your goals, but you should not be mentally overcome, because it is very demanding and that complicates everything “, had advised on bici.pro The quadruple winner of the Tour, now 40 years old.

Tadej Pogacar, who sometimes seemed to be frustrated or even disillusioned during the 2025 Tour, quickly seemed to want to finish it, even if he offered the show in Montmartre. In August, it was only seen on a criterium at home, in Slovenia. On his training roads, where we saw him alongside Pauline Ferrand-Prévôt, he even appeared with a flocked jersey “not disturbing”. “”It is true that sometimes I would like to be a little less famous. Sometimes taking photos and signing autographs is tiring, other times a little less, but I try to please everyone “, had admitted the interested party a few days earlier. “It is one of the issues of high -level athletes: sometimes they no longer belong, they belong to the public, to people who invest in them “analysis Jean-Christophe Seznec.

The Slovenian also joins his professional cycling companion, Urska Zigart, in his declarations or public appearances on his races. Like a way of even more privileged the nearest circle, far from the requests that have been assauling it for five years now. “”He experienced a very stressful, very demanding, especially physically, tour with many transfers, it has become difficult for him. He is someone very direct, and being the center of attention every day has become tiring “had unveiled his manager Mauro Giannetti to CyclingNews. “He takes a little safe from a possible burn-out, to explode. Because he still has enormous pressure “abounds our Consultant Lilian Calmejane.

“Little by little, you feel that Pogacar closes the doors of his' heart a little. He really has his hard core and he wants to move forward with this nucleus. You feel that it is a boy who realized that he could not do the fanfaron, that around him, it was a huge company that brewed a lot of money and attraction. And he protects himself a little of that “, Estem Lilian Calmejane, professional runner between 2016 and 2024.

His team, UAE-Emirates-XRG, also understood this, by sparing the wishes as much as possible of his foal, as during Paris-Roubaix, for fear of seeing him evaporate one day. “It is important for us, as a team, that Tadej has enough physical and mental rest to be happy, have fun and entertain as it has always done”, said his manager on August 11.

“Being Tadej Pogacar is fantastic, but it is not easy. He undergoes a lot of pressure. Everyone expects him a performance, a victory and a spectacle. It is therefore important for us to manage this with caution, because it is more than a simple runner.

Mauro Giannetti, Manager de Tadej Pogacar

to CyclingNews

Polishing the jewel of a generation and preventing it from being devoured by the specter of boredom is the challenge of the Emirati team for the second part of Pogacar. Because his destiny is much more linked to him than the opposite. “His team is an industry looking for winning. There is a kind of conflict between the industrial side of the bicycle and its existential questions to him. These people depend on their heroes, it is their thing. And it is difficult for them to be dispossessed of their object of satisfaction and winning. So they have an interest in being careful that he does not wear out. Because if he sips for something, he can say to himself: 'Why will I establish myself all this? Titles and recognition, I have them. What's the point of having one more title? ' “develops Jean-Christophe Seznec.

The psychiatrist takes the analogy of the French giant of the pools to decipher the re -motivation tracks. “Léon Marchand had almost stopped since he could no longer pressure it. His mental trainer worked the fact that his value had nothing to do with his performances. He was able to refocus on what he really likes, swimming, competition and not winning it. And finally, he ends up winning everything. There is perhaps in Pogacar the need to mature to restore the fact thatnote Jean-Christophe Seznec.

The Slovenian ogre, which will resume competition in Canada (September 12) before playing the world championships in Rwanda (September 28) and then those of Europe in Ardèche (October 5), also anticipates a fear of decline, which has only experienced the defeat by lean samples? “Will he bear a long time when he is undermined on races on which he has never been undermined?”questions Lilian Calmejane.

For the moment, the time is far from thinking about retirement or decline, but more pragmatic issues could also interfere. “”Il knows very well that for the moment, in the form it is, we must continue to stack victories “, affirms our consultant, just to extend the pleasure, for the time being “greater than constraints“. But when will the time come to the difficulties or more personal projects as to start a family, what will Slovenian do? “”In these moments, to win another Tour de France, another Walloon arrow, will it be enough? I'm not sure “, still questions Lilian Calmejane.