Slovenian cycling superstar faces doping allegations
Tadej Pogačar's outright dominance in the cycling world and his noticeable progress in recent years have put him side by side with the greatest riders in history and started the conversation on whether he may be the greatest of all time, but those qualities have also been met with scepticism and unfounded allegations from some. An acclaimed sports medicine physician says that the Slovenian's performance keeps improving because of targeted training and better equipment.
Pogačar, who recently won his fourth Tour de France, is no alien, Radoje Milić told the Slovenian Press Agency in what was a reference to a nickname often given to superb athletes due to their genetic predispositions, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.
Neither does he believe there are any illegal methods at play in this case.
"Although you can never say for certain that there is no funny business, I'm almost 100% sure that Pogačar does not need a doping boost and that he does not rely on cheating. All these insinuations are baseless and vexing. If you do not have proof you simply cannot argue that even if you're an expert," said the head of the laboratory of physiology at the Ljubljana Faculty of Sports.
Pointing out that Pogačar is the most tested rider out there, he added that he is confident the Slovenian would not risk his health that way.
Milić argues that such speculation is first and foremost the result of envy by some countries which are now struggling to achieve success in cycling as Pogačar remains a serial winner.
"Sadly, there are certain doubts in Slovenia too. But we know what are the characteristics of Slovenians," the expert said referring to the country's tall poppy syndrome.
Another things that saddens Milić in Slovenia is the existence of some fans who cheer for either Pogačar or another Slovenian rider Primož Roglič but cannot muster enough sense to root for both Pogi and Rogla, which are the nicknames for the two.
Sceptics visiting Milić's lab
Suspicions of doping in cycling are nothing new because of the sport's dark history, and Milić says that some foreign reporters are going as far as visiting his laboratory on the pretext of research in an attempt to find proof for their conjectures.
"They act as if they are interested in this or that and record stuff, but in fact they are just looking for areas where they might notice irregularities."
During this year's Tour, Danish sports researcher Ask Vest Christiansen wondered how Pogačar was able to improve his performance so much over the past two years. He told the Danish newspaper BT that top athletes could increase their level by a maximum of 3% whereas it seemed that the reigning world champion had outdone that.
However, Milić sees this progress as a result of training and equipment improvements. Pogačar got himself a new coach before the start of the 2024 season and his bike was altered to suit him better. "The bike has been fully adapted to his abilities so that he can do everything while in the saddle. We hardly see him go out of the saddle anymore , and they've also been spending more time on conditioning."
Noting the importance of exercises to strengthen Pogačar's lower back, the expert also mentioned the overall strength of his UAE Team Emirates XRG.
Early signs of promising career
A former team physician for the Slovenian national cycling team, Milić used to monitor Pogačar's progress in official capacity. The top-ranked cyclist in the world ever since September 2021, who will turn 27 this September, was under his care between the ages of 13 and 19.
Even back then he was among top four riders of his generation in Slovenia, but he did not stand out in this company, according to Milić. Later on, it was his hard work and distinctive qualities that have made him what he is today, but he was also lucky to have received proper guidance and did not burn out as a junior.
Multiple times, Pogačar himself has denied the allegations of using performance-enhancing procedures to gain an unfair advantage over others, but he also understands that the sins of some former riders have left a blemished legacy of suspicion.
Milić thinks Pogi is not immune to these rumours.
"This is not easy for him as he does care. It's exhausting; all those press questions are nothing good for his psyche. But at the same time it is exactly his mental strength that is his strongest ace," the expert said.
Pogačar recently announced he will skip this year's Vuelta a Espana, the third and last Grand Tour of the season, to focus on defending the world champion title next month.
