Slovenian cycling sensation Tadej Pogačar has set his sights on achieving one of the rarest and most grueling feats in professional cycling: the Giro d’Italia–Tour de France double in a single season.
The 25-year-old UAE Team Emirates rider, already a two-time Tour de France champion (2020, 2021), is currently dominating the Giro d’Italia, where he has taken control of the general classification with an impressive display of climbing and time-trialling prowess. His bold declaration that he will pursue the Tour de France title just weeks after the Giro has electrified the cycling world.
If successful, Pogačar would become the first cyclist in over two decades to win both grand tours in the same year — a feat last accomplished by Marco Pantani in 1998. The Italian climbing legend was revered for his explosive attacks in the mountains and charismatic personality, but his story ended in heartbreak. Pantani died in 2004 of a cocaine overdose, after years of battling personal demons and controversies tied to doping.
“To attempt the double is one of the greatest challenges in this sport,” said cycling historian Michele Armentano. “It tests not only the rider’s physical limits but their mental resilience. Only the greatest dare to try.”
Pogačar’s campaign has drawn comparisons to Pantani’s, but with notable differences. While Pantani’s career was overshadowed by scandal, Pogačar has built a reputation for clean riding, transparency, and relentless consistency. With a disciplined support team, scientific training, and a balanced calendar, he is taking on the double with surgical precision.
The Giro d’Italia, running through Italy’s most punishing mountain ranges, is already taking its toll on the peloton — but Pogačar remains unfazed. With each stage win and time gain, his dominance becomes more apparent.
After the Giro concludes in late May, Pogačar will have just five weeks to recover before the Tour de France begins in late June — a turnaround that most modern riders consider too demanding in today’s era of hyper-specialization.
“It’s about pushing the limits, about doing something unforgettable,” Pogačar told reporters. “Pantani did it. He was a legend. I want to make my own history — clean and strong.”
Cycling fans across the globe are watching with anticipation and awe. If Pogačar succeeds, he will not only join Pantani, Merckx, Hinault, and Anquetil in the pantheon of double winners, but also do so in an age when such an achievement is seen as nearly impossible due to the sport’s increasing demands.
Win or lose, his quest has already reignited the romanticism of cycling’s golden era — where legends are not just born on the roads, but forged through ambition, suffering, and sheer willpower.
