Currently training in Spain with his UAE Emirates team, Tadej Pogacar broke a record on a 6.4 kilometer climb very popular with cyclists in training at this time of year.
At this time of year, many cycling teams are training in Calpe, a seaside resort located between Valencia and Alicante, in Spain, where the weather is often favorable. Not far from there is a pass, the Coll de Rates, where runners, professionals or amateurs, love to test themselves, throughout the 6.5 kilometers at an average of 5.5%.
As has become fashionable in recent years, cyclists share their performances via the Strava application, and no less than 100,000 have already climbed the Coll de Rates. At the end of last week, it was the best of them, Tadej Pogacar, who tried his luck, as he has become accustomed to doing every year.
Pogacar beats his record by 24 seconds
And the Slovenian broke his own climb record! The UAE Emirates runner climbed the pass in 11’57, beating his record set a year ago by 24 seconds, with an average speed of 32.3km/h.
This climb was part of an outing lasting just over 6 hours around Calpe, where he covered 226 kilometers, for a total of 4203 meters of elevation gain. His teammates Kevin Vermaerke, Florian Vermeersch, Nils Politt, Pavel Sivakov and Domen Novak were also there.
Pogacar is in great shape
A little earlier in the day, the Dane from the French team Unibet Rose Rockets had broken the record for the “Test coll de Rates” climb, a 2.03km long segment of the pass at 6.4% on average. He then signed a time of 4’19, beating by one second the time established by Pogacar on December 20, 2024. But a few dozen minutes later, the Slovenian erased it from the shelves, climbing this part of the pass in 4’06.
There is no doubt, the double world champion is in great shape before the holidays. But we will still have to wait before seeing him in competition, since he will not start his 2026 season until March 7 on the Strade Bianche.
