Cycling: the mental health of Tadej Pogacar concerns

Passenger soft or start of a generalized fed up? Moreover, Under the microscope for years. Therefore, Tadej Pogacar Takes signals from great weariness that the joy of having won a fourth Tour de France had trouble hiding on Sunday.

Throughout the last week of the big loop. Nevertheless, the Slovenian released a strange impression, suggesting that he was either sick or very tired, or that he was bored. Moreover, Sometimes annoyed, apathetic often, he sent interviews and podiums, on which he sometimes made his head.

The cycling: mental health tadej pogacar world champion gave the change on Sunday by attacking the soggy pavers of Montmartre in a last exceptional stage. Similarly, “From the pure race, I loved it,” he said.

But barely came back from his bike, the cycling: mental health tadej pogacar world champion again adopted an almost twilight tone.

“The more I grow up, the more the child in me disappears, the more the pressure becomes surreal. Moreover, I’m starting to tell myself that I’m not going to do this all my life. Meanwhile, “he replied in a mixed area to an ITV journalist asking him how he managed all this attention.

Then going to a press conference. he was unable to project himself on the next editions, while he will be able to match the record of five victories in 2026. “Not a goal,” he said.

On the other hand. he spoke at length the mental health and overworking issues that have led several runners, such as Dutch Tom Dumoulin, to put an abrupt end to their careers.

“I find that cyclists, we are too obsessed with training,” he said. There is a lot of burnout. I’m not here, but it could happen to me too. ”

Cycling: mental health tadej pogacar

Cycling star

Pogacar may only be 26 years old, he has been in the spotlight since the Vuelta 2019.

During these years. he became a superstar of cycling, then short sport after a sensational 2024 season which made him switch to another dimension and exploded the requests.

“His life is not easy. He goes down to breakfast and there are 20 people who claim his attention. There are out and there are 30 others waiting, and the same thing in front of the bus. He is constantly under pressure. It is normal that it weighs him mentally. ”explains the Belgian Tim Wellens, Pogacar teammate at UAE and his neighbor in Monaco.

At each race. Pogacar is caught up in all sides, all the time, at the exit of the hotel, at the start, on the way for the podium, on the way back. Along the way. he stops for a selfie or an autograph but often has to split the crowd, the look fixed straight ahead, so as not to spend his day there.

It weighs, believes Stephen Roche, winner of the Tour in 1987: “He’s a nice, he has trouble saying no.”

Even earlier, Remco Evenepoel often says that cycling has become so demanding that “long careers will disappear”.

A retired fatigue?

Under contract until 2030 with UAE. Pogacar said in an interview with the newspaper “the team” that he “does not think cycling: mental health tadej pogacar of stopping right away”. But he also does not see himself continuing for too long “. evoking the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games as an deadline to think about his retirement.

It would leave him three years to break the record for victories on the Tour de France. the biggest race in the world that he should continue to compete even if, there too, he sometimes distills doubt.

Andy Schleck, winner of the Tour in 2010, is skeptical: “He surfs a huge wave but this wave can break. There are lots of young people who arrive and ride passionately. Cycling changes very quickly. I don’t think he’s going to break the record. ”

Tadej Pogacarwho declared in the Pyrenees that he was “at the peak” of his career. must announce this week cycling: mental health tadej pogacar if he participates in the Vuelta which starts on August 23. It is very likely not.

“For the moment I have no clear goal. maybe the world championships (in September) and the Tour de Lombardie (in October). For the rest I don’t know, “he said on Sunday evening, in a hurry to end it.

AFP

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