Tadej Pogačar Wants to Try Gravel, but Online Racing? No Chance: ‘Too Much Suffering’

Tadej Pogačar stampedes across the mountains of the Tour de France without breaking a sweat.

He uncorks 80km solos at the world’s hardest one-day races while pedaling in zone 2.

But racing on Zwift or MyWhoosh?

That’s far too hard for cycling’s modern GOAT.

Speaking this weekend during a MyWhoosh community ride, Pogačar said eRacing is a challenge he doesn’t dare consider.

“For now, not really. It’s just so hard,” Pogačar said Saturday when asked if he’d enter a virtual race.

“I have massive respect for people that do a lot of home training and a lot of riding on MyWhoosh. It’s just super hard mentally,” Pogačar said as he tapped along on his turbo trainer. “For me it’s just suffering too much.

“And my body sweats a lot indoors,” he added. “I already have a big puddle under me, and we’re just going easy.”

ERacing freaks can breathe a sigh of relief.

Pogačar clearly has no plans to start monopolizing this winter’s Zwift racing league with insane watts-per-kilo scores that are actually legit.

However, as a MyWhoosh ambassador, Pogi was savvy enough to encourage the indoor suffering. He claimed he watches indoor racing and recalled how crucial the trainer was to him during the COVID lockdowns.

“I think I’m not really suitable for eSports on the bike,” Pogačar said. “But definitely I will always support it, and I watch the races. It’s a great way to race, and it’s safer than racing on the road. But for me, it’s just not for me right now.”

Pogačar spoke the same day the New York Times published an interview where he candidly opened up about the physical and mental torment he suffered after his crash at the Vuelta a España.

The line of questioning Saturday during the MyWhoosh ride was somewhat less weighty.

Online fans asked about what he eats for breakfast (fruits, oatmeal, and Skyr), his favorite places to train (Monaco and Tenerife), whether he uses visualization techniques (sort of), and much more.

Pogačar is coming for the gravel scene … but not yet

One of the more intriguing talking points that came up Saturday?

Racing gravel.

Pogačar said he can see (or maybe visualize) off-road racing in his future.

“Gravel is becoming really popular,” he said. “I went to the first gravel world championship as a spectator, and I really enjoyed the event just as a fan.”

Pogačar has dominated Strade Bianche four times with four long-range raids. He’s pushed Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert to the limit at Paris-Roubaix.

The 28-year-old super cyclist has all the tools to trounce everybody in the gravel scene.

But he’s not going to do it yet.

The road comes first.

“I don’t really have a lot of time through the year to also do some gravel races and qualify for world championships,” Pogačar said Saturday.

“In the future I think I will participate also in gravel races. I can’t say when or where, but for sure in the future I want to try it out.”

So be warned, gravel specialists.

This WorldTour racer might require taking seriously if he shows up to a marquee fondo or a UCI World Series event anytime soon.