318 - The Meteoric Rise of Tadej Pogačar: From Prodigy to Cycling Legend

[@PeterAttiaMD]

We discuss: 0:01:38 - 2020 Tour de France win 0:06:54 - Learning from previous mistakes 0:09:04 - Training: simulating steep climbs and other challenging race conditions 0:11:49 - Tadej’s historic 2024 season and what contributed to his success 0:15:30 - Nutrition for optimal performance: offseason diet and carbohydrate intake during intense training sessions 0:18:51 - Training metrics: heart rate, power output, VAM, and HRV, and his approach to zone 2 training 0:28:11 - Epic climbs in the Tour de France, mindset after challenging stages, and rebuilding confidence after the 2023 Tour 0:36:35 - Racing dynamics, media criticism, and Tadej’s reflections on racing records 0:45:02 - Training in the off-season

[@franciscolourenco4450]

Amaizing interview, cirurgical questions and very honest answers from Tadeu. Thank you for this free content!

[@Anon-oy1sf]

Why did you delete your smug answer in regards to the valid doping question further down? You provided some made up numbers without any knowledge that suggested that Lance and Pantani did a lot better numbers than Tadej. Why don't you respond to the people that actually calculates performance numbers such as NaichacaCycling (wattpolice)? Highest VAM numbers from Tdf 30+ min climbs calculated by wattpolice: 🇺🇸Armstrong: 1753, Alpe d'Huez 2001 🇮🇹Pantani: 1811, Alpe d'Huez 1995 🇸🇮Pogacar: 1883, Plateau Beille 2024 🇩🇰Vingegaard 1831, Plateau Beille 2024

[@richycoles]

Great interview. What a humble guy

[@kieron88ward]

​@@Anon-oy1sfBut putting out good numbers doesn't mean doping. There have been massive changes in training and nutrition in the last decade even though racing looks the same to the spectator.

[@jaredwilkerson3869]

It’s hard to understand why anyone would dislike Pogacar. He seems humble, intelligent, and hardworking. And he’s incredibly entertaining on the bike.

[@jono1457-qd9ft]

@@jaredwilkerson3869 Some people are jealous. Such as that fool with the KZbin channel who accuses everyone who achieves anything in the sport.

[@davidbee8178]

@@jono1457-qd9ft agree 100% . . . a jealous baby . . . some people NEVER grow up and are UNDER achievers as well

[@alibabaong]

with all respect to Tadej, he is just too boring for racing

[@tommyfreckmann6857]

​@alibabaong WHAT?

[@Tricorncitizen]

I just don't like his sponsor. The team itself is great, and he's a great champion of the sport

[@LexD-89]

That “pause” after Tadej says 320-340 at z2 was me spilling my morning coffee 😅

[@Machoman510]

His smirk says it all

[@lllleeeeiiii]

That was me busy wiping water from my laptop

[@jadsru1]

I think he's lying to us. lol... I think he said that to mislead his competitions, so his competitors go and try holding 320 for 5hrs and burn themselves out so he can destroy them at the races. yeah! I also spilled my drink while siting on this trainer doing Z2 at 199W ... I am going back to watching futbol and la liga.

[@victoriadepew6863]

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!

[@BFJunga]

@@jadsru1 I don't think so. If 340W is his top end zone 2 which is 75% of FTP. His FTP will be around 450W which is around 6.9W/kg. Considering his performances this the tour this year it seems pretty accurate to me.

[@oneeleven9832]

Been watching cycling for 45yrs Tadej is the best all rounder Ive ever seen..nice fella as well 👍

[@lukasmobus3024]

better than Ullrich?

[@rafvissers4041]

WVA

[@WeallAreAdults]

then you watched with your eyes closed lmao :D

[@solidstream13]

All around? Sagan!

[@oneeleven9832]

@@lukasmobus3024 100%

[@Lockeness86]

He was way more transparent and candid than I thought he would be! Cool to hear him reveal his specific numbers

[@mettflow2648]

He downplayed da numberinos

[@shadowbanned4606]

@@mettflow2648 For how much? 6%, 12%?

[@leoturgenov7440]

@@mettflow2648 how do you know that?

[@guystevens311]

He probably revealed way more info than his team would like! But good on him. So many pros are way too guarded.

[@TimHeidfeld]

Min 20:04: VAM stands for "Velocità Ascensionale Media", an Italian term that translates to "Average Ascent Speed" in English. It measures a cyclist's rate of vertical ascent during a climb, usually expressed in meters per hour (m/h). VAM helps to assess a cyclist's climbing performance and is often used to compare the difficulty of climbs or the relative strength of different cyclists on hilly terrain. Tadejs VAM is 1800m/h on a 7,5% Gradient. General VAM Benchmarks: Above 1,700 m/h: Elite level (Tour de France contenders: Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard, Bernal, Froome, Contador). 1,500-1,700 m/h: Very high level (top climbers in professional races). 1,300-1,500 m/h: Strong amateur or semi-professional level. Below 1,300 m/h: Typical amateur cyclist.

[@duhai1836]

VAM is very relative. Must be measured for the same duration/gradient. My highest in running for 3min uphill was around 2250, i believe. So it's not useful as a general number like V02 Max etc. . ( VAM = Vertical Ascent in meters per hour )

[@duprein]

Just to put what you wrote in perspective: Relative power (watts/kg) = VAM (metres/hour) / (200 + 10 × % grade) - this empirical formula works quite well, at least with my Strava efforts. So, sorry, but 1300VAM at 7.5% is 4.7W/kg. On a regular 20min climb this is significantly above the typical amateur level. I would consider Amateurs below 1000VAM...

[@TimHeidfeld]

@@duprein I agree, you are right

[@DC-lu5qs]

Where does 500 m/h fit? asking for a friend.

[@tonyg3091]

@@DC-lu5qs😂😂😂😂😂 my man

[@dustinmaherfitness]

The questions you asked and how he answered them all. Incredible. Maybe the best cycling interview I have ever heard. The zone 2 at 320 is crazy given how light he is.

[@rgfrobotics]

is zone 2 at 320W crazy though?

[@richiejames928]

Just for some context, the numbers Tadej can sustain for a 5 hour stage, the average casual cyclist couldn’t sustain for 5minutes. This kid has perfect genetics for cycling. he’s just phenomenal. and the most attacking/entertaining riders in a generation.

[@Sevendaver]

Me 30 seconds

[@czx5555]

whats an average cyclist? lmao your dad who bikes once week?

[@richiejames928]

@@czx5555 yep

[@oliverleigh9854]

Stop being a NPC. Any average person can hit those numbers, Its called condition your body. The question is whose willing to sacrifice social and family time to put the work in to get into the right physical condition. This include everything even drugs.

[@anishbose9790]

@@oliverleigh9854 "average person" doesn't mean "assume everyone conditions themselves and tries to hit 340W at some point in their lives". it should be obvious that it means people in the present, of which most people certainly cannot hold 340W for 5min. let's not even dare extrapolate that to W/kg.

[@MrMattie725]

Pogy throwing subtle shade at Shimano powermeters, love it :D

[@dougsmith4678]

I was laughing my ass off when I heard him say that. How can Shimano not have a good power meter at this point, what a joke.

[@FliskerX]

Haha yea, powermeters are not reliable these days... which one?! Shimanno, lol

[@TommyScott-g1p]

so subtle

[@Eirikkinserdal]

he has a srm for his tt bike atleast 😅

[@DanThemes]

From what I know, all powermeters need to be calibrated multiple times during a ride if the temperature/elevation changes significantly.

[@StefanieFieck]

As a casual biker (just rode 50 mile ride today) and fan of your podcast and professional cycling, this was one of my favorite podcasts you’ve done. It’s likely rare he gets to converse with someone so knowledgeable about what it takes physiologically to achieve what Tedej has. He is a big reason I started following cycling and Dr. Attia you’re a huge reason I focus on my health as I do. Thank you!

[@edmundtschopp3412]

Hands down, best cycling interview I have ever listened to. And I've listened to many

[@DayTradersDaily]

Hands down, Peter is at another level with his interviewing skills with cyclists. For cycling enthusiasts, it's great to see Peter asking the kinds of questions we would want to ask if we were conversing with Tadej. Thank you so much, and I hope you continue to conduct cycling interviews in the future. You are in a class of your own!

[@Filedll]

Never expeted Pogacar interview. Thats a bomb!

[@orbifold4387]

What a surprise, Peter! Thanks!

[@xGshikamaru]

That's probably my favorite video ever. It's really amazing how spot on your questions were and how Tadej would answer any of it without any hesitation. Thanks so much!

[@ernestb.2377]

Great interview, thank you both. It is nice for us who understand this sport, but not inside this professional circles, to hear something about it first hand. Great guy Tadej. Keep it like that! I am from Bosnia and Herzegovina, once part of former Yugoslavia, as Slovenia also once was. We are very proud of both Tadej and Primoz to achieve this high level. They are the first ones is our history. So very remarkable! Keep up the good work Tadej, enjoy your training and racing like you do. We will support you along the side and enjoy to see you in the battles but also of the bike. Cheers

[@natpaler883]

Extremly proud of our national Slovene cyclists, but especially Tadej!! 🚴

[@rkentwenger5095]

And Slovenia is such a beautiful place to ride!

[@kasperfriis1899]

You have some very good riders love to watch Tadej and Roglic.. but speciali the battle between Jonas and Tadej is som of the best battles I have ever seen

[@chivacetana]

He’s a doper clearly.

[@PatrickDelorenzi]

The enthusiasm and interest expressed by Peter Attia in this interview is next level - a true fan of the sport

[@GasperRazdevsek]

Peter, thank you for this fantastic interview-it made my day! And a big thanks to Tadej for taking the time and being such an amazing, down-to-earth champion who is a wonderful role model for kids. Stay as you are!

[@BenchRacer]

One of the best interviews I’ve seen in a long time. We are witnessing the best endurance athlete of our time… perhaps of all time.

[@CerahHedrick]

Undoubtedly the best professional cyclist in the world right now. 💪

[@jademermaidmusic]

Best “supplemented” cyclist for sure

[@batard2001]

@@jademermaidmusicwho is clean? Jonas? 😂😂😂😂😂

[@user1qaz2wsx3edc]

​@@jademermaidmusic Supplemented to win many classics/giro and tour in the same year. Vingegard???😂😂😂

[@kasperfriis1899]

Could be the best rider ever.. if he can keep it up the next 5 to 8 years

[@ai-baking-f1]

So humble and open. A great interview. Thanks for pulling this one together Peter.

[@AliShaheen89]

Hands down best cycling media content and interview this year.

[@bramswinkels3348]

Definitely not. Mattia made a lot of mistakes that were easily avoidable by preparing better or generally knowing more about the sport.

[@leighgoodwin1726]

Brilliant interview. Fascinating. Every cycling fan should watch and listen. Tadej so open

[@magosia235]

Thank you so much for that interview! I've been rooting for Tadej since I remember. Whatching him ride as I do my zone 2 training gives me a real kick of motivation to push myself even harder. And since I'm Polish, I love seeing Rafał Majka by his side. Lots of love from a faithful fan from Poland ❤

[@KaYo13777]

Amazing interview. Thanks! I love it when Peter has cyclists on. His encyclopedic knowledge & enthusiasm for cycling make for the best interviews. Good luck for the world's Pogačar.🍀

[@larrymichienzi]

Big fan of Peter Attia but even bigger fan of Tadej. This might be the best interview I have ever seen!! Thanks so much for doing this one, Peter.

[@TheWastelaundry]

Perfect timing for this interview, he just became World Champion :)

[@goncaloantunes5599]

OMG 😱 Pogacar on the Drive. Amazing 😍

[@lorenzoparuta1819]

Thanks Peter for this interview. Thanks Pogi for all the words shared with us. I am very happy and grateful to live in your era. Grazie, from Italy

[@kingjasko]

that tiny giggle he does after he says "ye on 9% and more its more fun, you can do pretty much anything" is everything xd

[@KB-vg8lz]

Re. Vo2 Max, "probably it's high" 🤣🤣🤣

[@jono1457-qd9ft]

And good anaerobic power too. Both in just the right proportion. But of course there's the whole psychology aspect too. His temperament is good in many ways.

[@TommyScott-g1p]

wow really. TDF winner has high Vo2 max.

[@KB-vg8lz]

@@TommyScott-g1p yup, that’s the funny part Big Tommy.

[@Jon-cw8bb]

It was rumoured that he measured at 89. It's not the best ever measured or anything but it's very high

[@SennaMadeF1]

Probably at Tour de France his would have been over 95ml-kg-min. Someone estimated a few scenarios based on his climbing performances

[@MrRise4life]

thank you so much for providing this podcast with tadej!

[@Frangrance]

Tadej has a very cool personality, he shows at the same time lot of humilty but also that he realises his own greatness.

[@richiejames928]

Noooooo freaking wayyyyyyyy! WHAT!! two of my favourite people on earth met up and made a podcast!! this is unreal!….Peter. Thank you!

[@benedictearlson9044]

Cut down on the coffee.

[@Nick-rz6vq]

one of the best interview in cycling, so many details, thank you

[@eddiepaletti9055]

Fantastic. Thank you for interview Tadej. I had the good fortune of seeing him win the queen climbing stage at the Tour of California when he was a teen. He's been a joy to watch ever since and, as you note, so gracious.

[@HoustonNiner1]

What/were was the queen stade? Can you tell us the route via strava? Tks.

[@eddiepaletti9055]

@@HoustonNiner1 2019 Tour of California. Ontario to Mt. Baldy.

[@aitor47]

The numbers on this kid are just mind-blowing! 🤯 What a beast!

[@bmahoney1568]

Congratulations to the new world champion!!!!!

[@fortunadora443]

I’m very impressed by his maturity, humbleness, intelligence, professionalism, and of course his cycling.

[@rkentwenger5095]

Aside from his obviously phenomenal talent, one of the things that really impresses me about Tadej is how mentally mature and emotionally stable he seems to be, especially at such a young age. (And, heck, doing interviews in his second or third language...)

[@ABAC6969]

Great interview. Pogi is so open about his training and diet. He will be the GOAT!!!

[@johnpiccioli650]

Amazing interview! I respected Tadej as a great cyclist and a classy person but after this interview I am a big fan. He comes across as a genuinely good person.

[@paulp4427]

Tadej is so likable, not sure how anyone can root against him, class act

[@Wds__99]

Even if he’s doping I’d still like the kid. Lance was such a dick and bully.

[@intothewoods900]

@@Wds__99 He still is 🙂

[@SAND33Z]

This is some of the highest quality content ever uploaded. Respect to Peter and Tadej

[@Gws525]

Could have listened to this all day! Great interview

[@Gufolicious]

He is the reason i watch pro cycling. Been his fan from the start. Also through his defeats.

[@JoshThompson-v7t]

Tadej the tornado! Singlehandedly (team or no team) breathing life into cycling and its fans...thank you Peter for helping spread the word

[@Joy80JJ]

I love & watch all the cycling races. Pogi is a humble young man. So enjoyed this interview.

[@cosbro5389]

Thankyou Tadej and Peter ..all the questions I had in there somewhere asked and answered on my favourite sport and past time 🙏🏼

[@hoodwinked1124]

One of the best interviews from an athlete about his training and prep. He's also a student of the sport and his own numbers

[@mikiafu]

That's an amazing interview! Thank you Peter, great job.

[@richmead3946]

The greatest interview in my opinion ever. You asked all the good questions!

[@DarkoErmenc]

Thank you, regards from Slovenia. On 1.10, I did a ride through villages near his hometown, and there are still national flags around in support of his rainbow jersey win. I have your book Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity on the shelf but not enough time to read it.

[@zikaperic2133]

Mr Attia is doing a favor to humanity with these interviews

[@iansingleton]

NB* there are lots of "classics" only 5 "Monuments". Great interview Peter. Thanks very much. Always love your interviews, an excellent blend of of technical and general questions. Pogi is the man. A lovely lad, externally very chilled and mellow but internally an absolute physical monster. It's been great watching him develop from a young lad into a senior. And let's face it, what an amazing statesman for the sport of cycling. 🙏🏻

[@jomattix]

I listened to this yesterday and today was the UCI Cycling World Championship race. Perfect timing.

[@imranwahid11]

Thanks Peter for making this video possible!

[@HaiLeQuang]

This man got me into cycling. Thank you

[@kurthanson7522]

make no mistake the psychology of these god tier pro endurance athletes is even more impressive than their physiology.

[@michellethornbrugh5699]

When he said seeing the crowds exhilarated him, that indicates he loves the challenge! There’s definitely a part of this that is in your self talk/belief in yourself.

[@intothewoods900]

Yes! The mental toughness on some of these guys is just incredible. Or Roglič, Vingegaard and others coming back after devastating crashes. I'd just give up and stay on my couch, feeling sorry for myself. It's also interesting to compare the attitude of winners like Pogi, always convinced he can win, vs. someone like Ben O'Connor who gave up the Vuelta when he still had the red jersey. Sure, he was being realistic, but that's not the mentality you want if you plan to win anything.

[@thicccboyztv]

Their pharmacology is even more impressive!

[@fedecaceres8801]

This is high end journalism, you are as awesome as Poggy

[@TheBrendan737]

Peter and Tadej - not a linkup I was ever expecting on this channel, but extremely glad that it's somehow come to pass!! 😎🏆🚴🏻‍♀

[@jimbo6993]

Wow! Great interview. I love Tadej. I followed the last tour very closely. I am now a big fan of this guy.

[@PedalToProgress]

This is the podcast of my dreams! Two of my favorite people

[@hannahzhang7849]

Excellent interview! Great questions! Love Pogi on bike and off bike such a humble elite athlete!

[@pablomondragon5738]

What a great interview !

[@markus7894]

What a gem of video and what a precious human being Tadej is! So humble, reasonable and natural! Impressive!

[@jfcfilms3883]

Wow, you got Pogi, congratulations !!

[@abikeesclerosada]

amazing interview, very ilustrative!!! Tadej is the man of the moment, I can only hope it stands more and more years!!

[@juliancochran]

His psychological maturity is through the roof. I'm still not as mature as him at almost twice his age!

[@maxx7429]

Amazing content Peter. Thank you so much for providing it and keeping it so respectful and interesting.

[@entis13]

OMG this is the top! Tadej on The Drive 🚀🚀🚀 Thank you for this!!!

[@matejstankovic9843]

Yes! You made me extremely happy with this, great work!

[@arnoldmuller1703]

Great stuff, just read some press coverage that Tadej "unveiled his performance data" and thought I like to go to the source. Now I discoveded your podcast. What a great job this interview was. Perfect communication und mutual understading. Both of you really know what you're talking about, it's pure pleasure to listen. Last but least what a great character Tadej is (and also you Peter it seems). Congrats!

[@paulgarner9248]

Excellent, well done and great insight into both of you! What an all round solid guy Tadej is!

[@catastrophic82]

It's so refreshing to hear a discussion about training that doesn't degenerate in to "So how does a 10 hour per week Hubbard implement this?"

[@qingyuhu]

Tadej is best of all time! And one of the most likable of all time also! My favorite racer of ALL TIME!

[@martonbazsi]

Wow boy, that was a treat! Wish Tadej had more time. Maybe next time you should go with him for a 5 hour zone2 ride and try to record the podcast while riding on 320 watts! 😅

[@oldrado]

Best interview of the year. Thank you Peter and Pogi!

[@jazbec]

Watching you since your Joe Rogan early podcast.... and now here is our Slovenian superstar Tadej on my favorite sport science experts dedicated podcast... damn the world sure is smal... 7 degrees of separation turning more in to 2 if you are a Slovenian!

[@r1cc606]

This interview is truly gold

[@firstbrotherDK]

AMAZING COMBO!!!!!! My favorite KZbin MD and my favorite pro cyclist!!!!!

[@juanemilio2172]

one of the most interesting interviews i've seen in my life, peter made all the specific questions that all wanted to do to a TDF winner

[@d3dMazay]

Good interview. Super interesting questions ..

[@jfarango]

This is now probably one of my favorites videos in KZbin!

[@adamdvorak3483]

340w zone 2? that’s insane

[@TommyScott-g1p]

i have the same

[@paro64]

@@TommyScott-g1pyes, but your weight is around 85kg?

[@DanThemes]

@@TommyScott-g1p Me too. Doesn't everyone? 🤔

[@zikaperic2133]

@@DanThemes indeed one legged variant

[@danielakerman8241]

Mind blowing. My TFP at 50 years old is 226. 340 puts me around Zone 6. My max 5 second power is about 800 watts. Pogi does that for 15-20 minutes at a time!

[@enigunra]

Great interview. Peter asked very good questions. It is obvious that he is true fan of cycling. Bravo @PeterAttiaMD

[@elliotstorey]

Great stuff, thank you Peter, and thank you Tadej!

[@ronroman3536]

Fantastic interview. You had interesting, probing questions and Tadej was open and transparent in his answers. Thank you!

[@boudoir00]

What a brilliant interview. Thank you!

[@MiguelDieguez705]

What an amazing interview. Thank you so much to Peter for asking really interesting questions. I really enjoyed it.

[@T7DMAAVIATIONHORIZONS]

Incredible and humble man

[@JansenNascimento]

It’s impressive the humility of Tadej Pogacar! It’s can explain a little, how big what he is

[@abdallahsaeed217]

What a great interview 😮

[@SRizza-i9c]

Thank you Peter and Tadej for the great interview! Always in this context, it would be interesting also to have a podcast episode with Dr. Javier Sola on his training methods compared to Dr. Inigo San Milan, especially on the medical/biological perspective. One great question would be understanding if a more tailored approach on Pogacar training, could have helped him to win Tour and Giro this year rather than an improved performance from age maturity. Thanks again

[@swites]

I'm only a few kgs heavier at 68 but 320watts is hauling! On a ride you'd be passing most average everyday cyclists uphill like they were standing still at that pace. And that's his cruising pace! Crazy!

[@buzomax]

Thanks for bring the best to your podcast Peter! So many questions… and good answers from Pogy ! A really good way to figure what it takes in numbers to became a TdF winner

[@fraserp2377]

Tadej is awesome i love watching him. I feel like Vingegaard has not been given enough respect though. He was not fit this year, Tadej was not fit the year before, i am really hoping they are both fit for the tour next year for an explosive and close TDF.

[@adamrosenberg8108]

What a great interview; thank you for this engaging and multi-faceted glimpse into the life of one of the most talented athletes the sport has ever seen!

[@DanThemes]

Loved every second of this! Thank you!