Pierwsza duża biografia najlepszego kolarza ostatnich dekad.
Tadej Pogačar nie jest po prostu kolejnym zawodowym kolarzem, jakich wielu – to fenomen w świecie sportu. Wygrał prawie wszystko, co można wygrać w kolarstwie, ze śmiałością i w stylu, które zapierają dech w piersiach. A ma dopiero dwadzieścia sześć lat i jeszcze nie powiedział ostatniego słowa.
Z tej ekscytującej biografii autorstwa Andy’ego McGratha, doświadczonego dziennikarza sportowego, dowiesz się, jak skromny chłopak z górzystej Słowenii stał się najlepszym kolarzem swoich czasów.
Prześledzisz fascynującą drogę od zwycięstwa w Tour de l’Avenir w 2018 roku aż po niesamowity sezon 2024, w którym Pogačar zdobył potrójną koronę kolarstwa, wygrywając Giro d’Italia, Tour de France i mistrzostwa świata.
Poznasz kulisy sukcesu młodego sportowca: sekrety wyjątkowego talentu oraz rolę rodziny, narzeczonej Urški Žigart, trenerów i zespołu UAE Team Emirates-XRG.
Tadej Pogačar – człowiek, który zrewolucjonizował kolarstwo.
It's always tricky to write a book about a person that's still very much active and near or at their peak, because the story is unfinished. But the best part of this book is the part of the story that is finished: the tales of Pog in his youth, as told by fellow riders, some great nuggets in there. The latter half/third of the book, the Tour domination? If you've been a keen observer of pro cycling you probably won't find much new here; there's only so many ways "he is damn good" can be conveyed by the author or the other riders suffering from - or for - him.
McGrath's certainly not a bad writer, so I'll be looking forward to the sequel once our protagonist has, title-defyingly, stopped.
This book is worth 4 stars for me because I love books about sport greats. The most interesting part for me was the first third, where author wrote about Pogis' childhood and amateur years. It was interesting to read / hear (as I haven't read anything before) about how this amazing cyclist grew up and came to be such a chill champion :) I also couldn't stop comparing him with my other sports idol - MJ. Such a difference in personality, however one could argue with the same results. Pogi inspires me for this reason - he shows that you don't have to be a sociopath to be great!
As a cycling fan who enjoys biographies, I picked this up hoping to learn more about Tadej Pogačar's character, and in that respect the book succeeds. I certainly came away with a better sense of the rider behind the results, his determination, work ethic and remarkable talent.
That said, the book inevitably suffers from being a biography written from the outside rather than a memoir. Unlike Mark Cavendish's excellent autobiography, there are no truly extraordinary insights into what it feels like to live through the pressures and uncertainties of professional cycling. We learn a great deal about what Pogačar did, but less about how he experienced it.
I also found the sections covering his early development somewhat repetitive. There are only so many times a reader can be told about his exceptional talent and determination before the point begins to lose its impact. The narrative is at its strongest once Pogačar reaches the very top of the sport.
For me, the most engaging chapters were those dealing with the Tour de France. Having followed many of these races myself, I enjoyed revisiting them from a different perspective. The author also makes a commendable effort to understand how Pogačar's rivals attempted to beat him, which adds welcome depth and tension to the story.
Given that it is an unofficial biography rather than a first-hand account, this is a solid introduction to one of cycling's most remarkable talents. I learned more about the man and enjoyed the Tour de France sections in particular, but I never quite felt I was getting close enough to Pogačar himself for the book to become truly memorable.
Amused to see Goodreads has this listed as not yet published, given I picked up a copy from Hatchards only the other day. Anyway, this is a very readable little number. I don't think it says anything particularly surprising, but if you're a fan of Pogi or cycling in general I think you'll still enjoy it.
Great read, would have been better if Tadej was involved in the writing and provided some of his own input. The more and more I learn about him, the more I am convinced he is clean. I think someone's personality has a lot to do with if they go down that path. Tadej v Armstrong/Ullrich/Froome is night and day. Good guy, generational talent.
A worthwhile read for any cycling fan. I actively root against Tadej as a Visma fan but respect his greatness and enjoyed the read. Pogi declined to be interviewed for this book so it’s missing the interesting anecdotes and behind the scenes info, but there are enough interviews with people around him to make this worthwhile.
I think it was too soon to be writing about this cyclist this early in his career, but, as with most of the greats, I was eager and excited to learn how he got his start, and to know about who he is as a person. And this book doesn't disappoint.
When someone writes another book after his career is over, hopefully Tadej himself, I'll read that one as well.
For the first half this book had me hooked, and I got to learn a lot about Pogacars journey to become a great pro cyclist.
In the second half it became a little to transparent that this book was written on secondary sources, and did not bring anything new to the table. I look forward to picking up a book similar to this when all is said and done, and pogacar himself might be a co-author.
I wanted to like this book more, but it felt like a bit in a no-mans land. For cycling fans, not much information there is new, while for non-fans the information therein will be accessible due to jargon and implicit knowledge.
Was a little lean on information possibly because Tadej did not participate in writing of book. The result was a re-hash of his career to date based on a review of races and some anecdotal accounts from a few people he interacted with on his way up.
Detailed story of one of the cycling greats with a lot of interviews of teammates, family and competitors. Sadly Mr Tadej himself did not participate. It looks like it will need some addendums in the future for all the upcoming wins.
Exactly what you'd expect from the autobiography of an active athlete. Lots of superlatives, a bit of honest reporting and travel around Slovenia, and plenty of reminiscing.
Provided good behind the scenes insights as to what makes Tadej tick. Super fans will already know much of this already, but there are enough little nuggets to satisfy one’s curiosity. Was nice to listen to a book with the most recent season’s race results included. A good and timely listen! Who knows what he will do next?