When the Slovenian published his program on February 6, in which he gave up on the UAE Tour, yet the most important race of the season for his sponsor, eyebrows were raised in the peloton.

What happens to the double winner of the Tour 2020 and 2021?

Less fit?

Did the gastroenteritis he suffered in January disrupt his preparation?

Even, would he be afraid to cross swords with the other prodigy, the Belgian Remco Evenepoel, in the race for the Emirates next week?

Ten days later we are fixed: "Pogi" is going very well, thank you.

Since the beginning of the week, it has even been a real carnage that the showman of Klanec has been engaged in in Andalusia, who admits to being himself "a little surprised by (his) form".

On Monday, for his return race, he flies over the semi-classic Jaen Paraiso Interior after a solo raid of more than 40 km on dirt roads.

Two days later, he knocked out the Tour of Andalusia on a new solo flight.

And on Thursday, the UAE runner does it again by winning in a strong man during the final climb on the cobblestones of Alcalá la Real.

"We can only congratulate him," noted the Spaniard Enric Mas, second on the line.

For Pogacar, it is even the fifth victory in a row after his successes at the end of 2022 at the Trois Vallées Varésines and the Tour of Lombardy.

"Full-gas"

In the past, champions like "the cannibal" Eddy Merckx had already achieved such a quintuple.

More recently in 2018, French sprinter Arnaud Démare caused a sensation by winning all five stages of the Tour de Poitou-Charentes.

Slovenian cycling champion Tadej Pogacar of the UAE Team Emirates team crosses the finish line during his victory in the 116th edition of the Tour of Lombardy in Como (Italy) on October 8, 2022. © Marco BERTORELLO / AFP/Archives

According to the Cycling Statistics website, the record belongs to the German Dietrich Thurau who won seven successes in a row, already on the Tour of Andalusia in 1977.

But such a series remains very rare in cycling where there are too many vagaries of the race and where victories, especially in today's hyper-competitive context, are fought for with the teeth.

On the Tour of Andalusia, where Pogacar now has a 48-second lead over Colombian Santiago Buitrago overall, he is not surrounded by tourists.

The next in the standings are called Enric Mas, Mikel Landa or Carlos Rodriguez, just top names.

Listening to him Thursday in the finish area, the 24-year-old Slovenian did not even intentionally add a 49th victory to his record.

"We weren't necessarily aiming for victory today but the race was crazy from start to finish. I had to try to follow all the attacks. So, I found myself in front. And I achieved a perfect final", he said, laughing.

So back on Friday?

"I don't know what will happen. With the team we try to approach the race as relaxed as possible but all the teams are going + full gas +", he added.

However, the competition is only cashing in for now.

In the past, especially at the start of the Tour de France last year, some were annoyed by the gluttony of the Slovenian, accused of leaving only crumbs.

Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar during the men's time trial of the road cycling world championships in Wollongong (Australia) on September 18, 2022. © William WEST / AFP/Archives

But this will to win all the time and everywhere is also the charm of "Pogi" and connects him with the great legends of cycling of yesteryear.

© 2023 AFP