<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore, we did things without
\nmeaning. We added kilometres for the sake of adding them, and that was a
\nmistake,\u201d Ullrich said. \u201cIn my time, we could jump to professional level at 24;
\ntoday, that’s too late. Everything has changed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pogacar, 26, is on course for his
\nfourth Tour de France title next month and has already conquered two Monuments
\nthis spring, Li\u00e8ge\u2013Bastogne\u2013Li\u00e8ge and the Tour of Flanders, a feat unthinkable
\nfor most GC riders in Ullrich\u2019s era. But it was the manner of Pogacar\u2019s sprint
\nwin in the Dauphin\u00e9 that most surprised Ullrich, where he beat Mathieu van der
\nPoel, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel.<\/p>\n
\u201cI couldn’t believe it,
\nfascinating, that Pogacar won in the sprint surprised me. I would never have
\nthought that. Pantani or I would never have opted to go for the sprint, I never
\npracticed it, we didn’t have the speed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ullrich\u2019s comments underline the
\nall-terrain dominance now expected of modern GC leaders, from solo mountain raids to uphill sprints and
\ncobbled classics. Pogacar\u2019s versatility, both in terrain and racing style, has
\nredefined expectations of what a Grand Tour champion should look like.<\/p>\n
Ullrich also touched on how
\ntoday\u2019s racing dynamics are shaped by a far more aggressive peloton and
\nrelentless pace-setting. \u201cWe didn’t have that speed; today, every team pushes
\nhard and far from the finish line. In our time, it was only the interested teams,\u201d
\nhe said. \u201cToday’s domestiques are powerhouses that go 50 km\/h or more. It’s
\nattractive to watch, but it’s too much for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
With his Dauphin\u00e9 triumph coming a
\nmonth after his third Liege win, Pogacar\u2019s Tour de France preparations appear
\nright on track. He starts the race on July 5 as the undisputed favourite for
\nanother yellow jersey, with not just his rivals, but even past champions
\nstruggling to believe what they\u2019re seeing. But can anyone stop him from romping
\nclear again?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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