Peter Attia MD318 - The Meteoric Rise of Tadej Pogačar: From Prodigy to Cycling Legend
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 2:14
Gracious in Defeat: Team Support After a Bad Day
The episode opens with Peter Attia asking how Tadej Pogačar stays so gracious after a defeat. Pogačar says cycling is a team sport, his teammates sacrificed everything and supported him, and he felt he had let them down.
- •Attia praises Pogačar's sportsmanship in defeat
- •Pogačar stresses that cycling is a team sport
- •Teammates supported him emotionally and physically
- •He felt devastated, upset and angry but could not change the result
- •Dinner with the team helped him recover
- 2:14 – 6:50
The Surprise 2020 Tour de France Win
Pogačar recalls going into the 2020 Tour without expecting to win, during the COVID year. He describes fighting for second place, the final time trial that turned the race around, and how relaxed he felt that day.
- •He did not expect to win in 2020, a COVID year of mostly training
- •He and Fabio Aru went in as co-leaders
- •He was fighting for second place before the final time trial
- •He felt no pressure and had recon'd the course with teammates
- •He weighed about 66 kg in 2020 versus 64.5–65.5 kg this year
- 6:50 – 9:04
Learning from the 2022 Col du Granon Mistake
Attia raises the 2022 stage where things went wrong at the Col du Granon. Pogačar explains that responding to eight or nine attacks cost him too much, and that no amount of eating could replace that effort.
- •Rivals attacked repeatedly from the Telegraphe onward
- •He responded to eight or nine attacks
- •He admits trying to drop everyone on the Galibier was a mistake
- •He says he ate enough but cannot replace that much effort
- 9:04 – 11:49
Simulating Race Conditions in Training
Pogačar explains how he trains to mimic race demands, including repeats of similar climbs, and discusses his preferred climbs and heat training. He prefers steep climbs of around 20 minutes because there is less drafting.
- •He finds similar climbs near home and repeats them as many times as the race will
- •He likes steep climbs of around 20 minutes
- •Climbs of 7–8% involve a lot of drafting, while above 9% there is little
- •Such long steep climbs are rare near where he trains
- •Heat training has become a thing in cycling and he does it on a home trainer
- 11:49 – 14:58
The 2024 Season, Jonas Vingegaard, and Future Tours
Attia asks about Pogačar's dominant 2024 and his rivalry with Jonas. Pogačar talks about how Jonas's injury may have affected his three-week capacity, why he will keep racing the Tour, and what changed in his preparation.
- •Pogačar says Jonas's injury likely limited his ability to sustain performance over three weeks
- •The rivalry pushes both riders, and the Tour is the test of who is better
- •He will keep riding the Tour as long as he enjoys the stress
- •He added core and off-bike training and paid more attention to nutrition
- 14:58 – 16:53
Offseason Weight and Relationship with Food
Pogačar discusses his approach to eating as he gets older: no strict restriction, balance, and quality food in the off-season. He says his off-season weight peaks around 69 kg.
- •He no longer eats whatever he wants as he did when he was young
- •He never strictly restricts foods like chocolate or cake
- •Heavy restriction risks a blowout and a poor relationship with food
- •He has no cravings in the off-season and eats quality food
- •His off-season maximum is about 69 kg
- 16:53 – 18:51
Carbohydrate Intake and Gut Training
Pogačar describes his carbohydrate targets during racing and training. He explains how the gut adapted and how the sponsor's products helped him avoid stomach problems.
- •Bottles contain 30 or 60 grams of carbohydrate
- •He aims for about 120 g per hour on hard stages and 60–90 g on easier ones
- •Five years ago 120 g per hour seemed impossible
- •Products designed with nutritionists ease the stomach
- •He says the glucose-to-fructose ratio and quality matter, and the gut gets used to it
- 18:51 – 23:20
Training Metrics: Heart Rate, Power, VAM and Zone 2
Pogačar explains how he uses heart rate, power and VAM to gauge training, and how he approaches zone 2 rides. He gives numbers for zone 2 heart rate and wattage and explains how he adjusts on long flat rides.
- •He has trained with a heart rate monitor since childhood and is cautious about power meter reliability
- •His all-out training VAM is about 1,700–1,800 for 15 minutes
- •Around Monaco, zone 2 is done on 20–40 minute climbs; on flatter terrain he does up to five hours
- •Zone 2 heart rate is about 140–155 at 320–340 watts
- •On long flat rides he drops power to 290–300 watts
- 23:20 – 28:12
HRV, Resting Heart Rate and Testing
The conversation covers how Pogačar tracks HRV, resting and max heart rate, and how he tests. He sees HRV as potentially misleading, and describes his December lactate test and fatigue tests.
- •HRV can mess with your head, so his girlfriend checks it only after races
- •His HRV ranges from 35 to 150, and 80–110 during the Tour and Giro
- •Lowest resting heart rate is 37, typically 42–43 at night
- •Max heart rate was 213 as a junior and 203 recently
- •He hasn't done a VO2 max or 20-minute test in a while but does a December lactate test
- 28:12 – 32:13
Epic Climbs and the Hardest Ascents
Attia asks Pogačar to compare Ventoux, Alpe d'Huez and Galibier, and to name the hardest modern climbs. Pogačar ranks Ventoux hardest, then Alpe d'Huez, then Galibier, and names Colle delle Rose as his worst climb.
- •Ventoux is the hardest of the three because of wind and heat
- •Alpe d'Huez is hard but shorter and mythical
- •Galibier is the easiest, similar to other Alpine cols
- •Colle delle Rose was his worst climb, from his 2023 stage
- •He found the Rose-to-Courchevel Altiport stage brutal
- 32:13 – 36:35
Rebuilding Confidence After 2023 and Chasing Classics
Attia asks how Pogačar processed the 2023 Tour and rebuilt confidence. He describes evaluating mistakes, regaining confidence with a stage win and Lombardy, and discusses his goals: Milan-San Remo, the Worlds, Paris-Roubaix, the Vuelta and the Olympics.
- •He felt frustrated, anxious and stressed after 2023 and traced problems to the Liège crash and preparation
- •A stage 20 win began restoring confidence, and Lombardy was a big win
- •Lombardy is the classic closest to suiting a Grand Tour winner
- •He wants the Worlds and Milan-San Remo first, then maybe Roubaix, plus the Vuelta
- •Olympics are lower priority since the Tour is the career peak each year
- 36:35 – 44:00
Fans, Media Criticism and Merckx's Records
Pogačar talks about riding among fans, the Netflix series and criticism that he wins too many stages. He also reflects on Tour stage records, Eddy Merckx, and the one-hour record.
- •He loves riding through fans, though flags are tricky
- •He says he sees little criticism and that media like controversy
- •He won 12 Grand Tour stages this year and says the team controlled to win 7
- •He doesn't want to think ahead about stage-win records
- •He no longer considers the one-hour record after Ganna's ride
- 44:00 – 48:44
Time Trial Power, Strength Work and Off-Season Routine
Pogačar discusses time trial versus road power, his strength training, and the other sports he does. He describes his off-season routine and when he got on the bike again, and then how he knew he wanted to be a pro.
- •He can push similar numbers on a TT bike when it matters, though less consistently
- •He still does strength work for legs, core, glutes and hips with fewer weights during the season
- •He grew up running, swimming and cross-country skiing in winter
- •In the off-season he uses runs, paddle and vacation and avoids the stationary bike
- •He returns to the road bike in mid-November, and realized around 16–17 he could be a pro
- 48:44 – 49:44
Closing: Looking Ahead to the World Championships
Attia wraps up as Pogačar heads to a team meeting, noting the significance of a possible Worlds title after two Grand Tour wins. Pogačar says the sooner it's done the better, as there is then no more pressure.
- •Attia says winning two Grand Tours in a year is unprecedented
- •A world title would add to that
- •Pogačar says the sooner they get it over with the better
- •He notes there is then no more pressure
