Chris Froome compares his era of Grand Tour dominance to 'quite unique, quite phenomenal' Tadej Pogacar's current form

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Israel–Premier Tech rider and British cycling great Chris Froome has said that it is difficult to compare himself to Tadej Pogacar. Froome won four editions of the Tour de France and three further Grand Tours between 2011 and 2018. Meanwhile, in 2024 Pogacar became the first rider since 1987 to win the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and World Championship road race in the same season.

Pogacar, Evenepoel and Van der Poel star in cycling’s best solo wins of 2024

Video credit: TNT Sports

Chris Froome said it was difficult to compare eras when asked if he would have beaten Tadej Pogacar at the peak of their powers.

Froome dominated cycling for a large chunk of the previous decade, having won four editions of the Tour de France and three further Grand Tours between 2011 and 2018.

Meanwhile, 2024 saw Pogacar become the first rider since 1987 to win the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and World Championship road race in the same season.

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The Slovenian also claimed two Monuments and a total of 25 victories across the campaign.

Froome admitted it was hard to compare his peak to Pogacar’s current form, given the development of cycling in the past ten years.

"It's so hard to say [whether he would've beaten Pogacar] because, obviously, so many things have changed in the sport, even in the last five years," Froome told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"We're seeing climbing times that are so much faster now than five years ago. I think my winning times on a lot of climbs from when I was maybe alone or with one or two other guys on a mountain, you're getting 20 or 30 guys together in a group doing that same kind of speed.

"Everything has got faster – the bikes, the material. We're seeing times breaking records from 20, 30 years ago, last year especially, so it's really hard to say."

Evenepoel, Cavendish, Pogacar and more - cycling's iconic celebrations of 2024

Video credit: TNT Sports

Technological advances have contributed to Pogacar's times being vastly superior to Froome's, who won his last Tour only eight years ago.

However, Froome noted that Pogacar's success is a different case to his period of Grand Tour dominance. Indeed, the 26-year-old is dominating cycling’s entire calendar rather than just the Grand Tours.

Froome said: "Especially with the way Pogi is riding also the Classics, we're not just talking about the Grand Tours.

"I mean, he's really doing something quite unique, quite phenomenal, and something I couldn't have imagined myself doing in the sport."

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