Tadej Pogacar’s achievements in the realm of professional cycling during the 2024 season have solidified his status as one of the sport’s leading figures. His accomplishments include claiming the first Triple Crown in 37 years, winning two prestigious Monuments, and finishing both his season’s debut and finale with victories. This remarkable year also saw him don the rainbow jersey on multiple occasions, claiming victory in a staggering 75% of the one-day races he entered, only narrowly missing out on wins in the Milan-San Remo and the GP Cycliste de Quebec.
Pogacar’s impressive statistics reveal that he finished on the podium 32 times across 57 races, a remarkable achievement that reflects a 56% podium finish rate. Notably, even during the final stage of the Giro d’Italia, where he secured the overall victory, he placed 74th. His performance in Grand Tours was exceptional, with his lowest finish being 46th during Stage 3 of the Giro, a race won by sprinter Tim Merlier. Throughout the Giro and the Tour de France, Pogacar’s dominance was underscored by six stage wins, leading the pink jersey for 19 stages and the yellow jersey for 18 stages. This showcases an extraordinary capacity to lead, as evidenced by his leadership during 86% of his stage races in 2024.
Furthermore, Pogacar achieved an astonishing tally of UCI points, doubling that of his closest rival, Remco Evenepoel. His total points would rank him as the ninth most successful team in the UCI rankings for the season, surpassing several established teams including Groupama-FDJ and Movistar. This singular success indicates not merely a year of triumph for Pogacar but establishes him as a lone dominant force in the cycling world, providing a rivalry challenge for any competitors.
While Pogacar’s accomplishments in 2024 position him in elite company, comparisons with the great seasons in cycling history also invite intrigue. Historical cycling luminaries like Georges Speicher, Fausto Coppi, and Eddy Merckx have also marked their legacies with extraordinary seasons, weaving their stories throughout cycling’s rich tapestry. For instance, Coppi’s 1949 season was monumental: he became the first rider to accomplish the Giro-Tour double, while simultaneously winning pivotal races including Milan-San Remo and Giro di Lombardia.
Merckx further exemplified the zenith of cycling excellence, with multiple years that launched him into the pantheon of cycling greats. His wins across key races in the late 1960s and early 1970s, including a groundbreaking double victory in the Giro and the Tour, made him a formidable competitor. Notably, Merckx achieved cycling’s inaugural Triple Crown in 1974, which positioned him alongside Pogacar in the elite echelon of professional cycling.
Reflecting on cycling’s illustrious history, successes such as Stephen Roche’s in 1987, where he secured both the Giro and Tour de France alongside World Championships, or Annemiek van Vleuten’s incredible 2022 season where she claimed victories in all three Grand Tours, highlight the relentless nature of pursuit in competitive cycling.
In juxtaposition, analysis of Pogacar’s 2024 season places it among the best historically. It resonates with the triumphs of cycling titans but also suggests potential for further accolades. At only 26, there is room for growth as Pogacar continues to search for elusive victories in races such as Milano-Sanremo and the Paris-Roubaix, the latter of which remains untraveled territory for him.
Furthermore, the absence of an Olympic medal this year raises questions about his future participation in events like the Los Angeles 2028 games, especially given his competitor Evenepoel’s recent Olympic success. Perhaps the most pressing variable impacting Pogacar’s upcoming seasons is the health and form of prominent rivals, particularly Jonas Vingegaard.
In summation, Pogacar’s extraordinary season in 2024 establishes not only a momentous chapter in cycling history but also opens discussions about the evolution of talent in the sport. His prowess and resilience suggest that further records may very well fall to his pursuit. One thing is certain: Pogacar’s journey, while extraordinary, is still in motion.
