Tadej Pogačar achieved an unparalleled feat on Plateau de Beille during Stage 15, setting a new record for the climb with an astonishing time of 42 minutes and 55 seconds. This achievement surpasses the previous record held by the late Marco Pantani since 1998, which stood at 43 minutes and 28 seconds. His remarkable accomplishment on Sunday places him ahead of past legends such as Alberto Contador and Michael Rasmussen, who completed the climb in 44 minutes and 7 seconds in 2007, and Lance Armstrong and Ivan Basso, who recorded a time of 45 minutes and 31 seconds in 2004.
In fact, all three of the top finishers—Pogi, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel, beat Pantani, with Mikel Landa narrowly missing out. In an interview with L’Equipe, the Team UAE – Emirates rider explained the rapid ascent.
“Cycling has changed so much. Six years ago when I joined the team, everything was different compared to my first Vuelta. We were less professional than I had thought. But we’ve evolved very quickly because all teams are focusing on nutrition, technology, training plans, and altitude camps. Teams like Visma, UAE, Trek-Segafredo, Deceuninck-Quick-Step, and Ineos Grenadiers are pushing each other to exceed our limits,” he explained to L’Equipe. “Everyone is focusing on the smallest details, from every gram of food to the slightest watt you can gain, to go faster. It’s really impressive to see how cycling has evolved since my professional beginnings.”
#TDF2024 | Stage 15 🇫🇷
⛰️🏁 PLATEAU DE BEILLE (15.8 km, 7.91%, 1249 m)
🇸🇮 Tadej Pogačar
• 39:43 – RECORD
• 6.90 w/kg (est. 65 kg standard)
• 1887 m/h VAM
• 23.87 km/hThe greatest performance of all time, shattering Marco Pantani’s old record
(1998 | 43:28) pic.twitter.com/IvOWaHmCj3— Watts in Cycling (@WattsinCycling) July 14, 2024
The Slovenian added that tires make a significant difference, as well as wheels and aerodynamic frames. “Bicycles have evolved so much over the last five years,” he said.
Like many other pros, team nutritionists have emphasized that diets have also changed significantly.
“Six years ago when I started, we mostly focused on starchy foods. For breakfast, it was mainly pasta, white rice, and omelettes. Today, it’s more varied; we have porridge, pancakes, omelets, bread… These small changes have made a difference and allowed us to not necessarily rely on pasta in the…
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