'Tadej Pogačar won his first Tour de France eating pizza, drinking beer and playing Playstation' – Teammate sees big difference with Paul Seixas

Domen Novak, a teammate of Tadej Pogačar at UAE Team Emirates, has publicly contrasted Pogačar's early career approach with that of today's young talents, specifically mentioning Paul Seixas. Novak recounted Pogačar's seemingly relaxed preparation for his first Tour de France win – involving pizza, beer, and PlayStation – highlighting a perceived shift in the intensity and professionalism expected from precocious young riders who are now burning out at an alarming rate.

This observation underscores a growing concern within the peloton regarding the sustainability of extreme early-career pressures. Pogačar, despite his prodigious talent, maintained a semblance of youthful balance, a luxury seemingly unavailable to the current crop of U23 and junior stars like Seixas, who are pushed into hyper-professionalisation from a tender age. This trend risks stifling development and, as Novak implies, leading to premature mental and physical exhaustion before riders even reach their peak.

Novak's comments serve as a timely reminder that while talent is paramount, the relentless pursuit of marginal gains from adolescence might just be creating a generation of champions with expiration dates.