Tadej Pogačar

'The best bike rider that ever lived' - Chris Boardman CBE The first in-depth biography of the modern era's greatest cyclist and four-time Tour de France champion, Tadej Pogäar, written by award-winning journalist Andy McGrath. Tadej Pogäar is not like any other professional cyclist. The Slovenian is a sporting phenomenon. He has won almost everything there is to win in bike racing, has done so with breathtaking audacity and style - and all by the age of 26. This comprehensive biography follows his meteoric rise to the top, recounts his greatest race wins and rivalries, and reveals the character, motivation and skills that have led to his domination of elite cycling. Experienced cycling journalist Andy McGrath has documented the versatile superstar's development from his victory in the Tour de l'Avenir in 2018 to his Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Il Lombardia and Tour of Flanders successes and his historic 2024 season, when he won cycling's prestigious triple crown of the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France and the World Championship road race. His victories include three Tours de France (2020, 2021 and 2024). McGrath explores how this diminutive child from the small, mountainous nation of Slovenia first took up the sport, his emerging talent as a teenager and the role played by his UAE Team Emirates coaches and management. He also gets the inside story from those close to him, trusted teammates and fierce adversaries. It is not only what Pogäar has won, but the manner in which he wins that also makes him so unique and popular. McGrath gets to the very heart of the cycling phenomenon that is 'Pogi' - and the fascinating young man behind the runaway success story.

Andy McGrath is an award-winning freelance sports journalist, who has been covering professional cycling since 2009. Formerly editor of Rouleur magazine and chief reporter at Cycling Weekly, he has also written about the sport for the Telegraph, the Guardian and the Financial Times. He is the author of God is Dead, a biography of Belgian star Frank Vandenbroucke, and Tom Simpson: Bird on the Wire, which won the 2017 William Hill Sports Book of the Year accolade. @Andymcgra

Author's Note 1. The Heist 2. King of the Hill 3. Smells Like Teen Spirit 4. Rare Abilities 5. Breakaway 6. Timing is Everything 7. Changing the Guard 8. Extraordinary Lightness of Spirit 9. Monumental 10. On Another Level 11. Beast Mode 12. Crack Me if You Can 13. The Pogacar Effect 14. The Fall 15. Limitless 16. Return of the King 17. The Puzzle 18. The Weight of Greatness 19. Dominance Acknowledgements Notable Wins and Placings References and Sources