"I'm not going to deny that I weigh more than normal": Tadej Pogacar explains his change

Tadej Pogacar won the Tour de Romandie last week after a brilliant classics season in which he has triumphed in three of the four monuments contested so far — Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège — and finished second in Paris-Roubaix. An extraordinary performance for a rider who, in theory, belongs to the profile of a stage racer and has managed to expand his dominance thanks, in part, to a very measured change in his body composition throughout the year.

Pogacar admits he weighs more and explains why he is now more complete than ever

This adjustment is not just a theory; Pogacar himself confirmed it after one of his exhibitions in Romandie, where after winning four of the six stages, he left one of the most interesting keys to his season: "I’m not going to deny that I weigh more than normal. But I feel good on the bike. That’s the most important thing for me, not having problems and enjoying it."

"Maybe I also overdid it a bit with the gym. I really enjoyed it and got fully into it. So now maybe it’s time to drop a little."

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The Slovenian openly acknowledges something that until relatively recently was almost taboo in grand tour cycling: competing with more weight than usual. It’s not about fat, but rather muscle mass gained during the winter, a change clearly aimed at performing in classics where explosiveness, resistance to repeated maximum efforts, and the ability to generate power on terrains like cobblestones make the difference.

More muscle, same efficiency: the explanation from within

This idea was developed by his nutritionist, Gorka Prieto, in statements to L’Equipe, where he explained how this balance is managed without compromising performance in three-week tours. Prieto made it clear that the focus is not on a specific number on the scale:

"He has improved significantly compared to last year. Weight naturally increases with strength training, but we don’t set a specific figure; we focus on the power-to-weight ratio."

"He needs to be lean, with a low body fat percentage, but also strong enough to stay healthy and recover well."

Here lies the key nuance. Pogacar is not looking to be heavier, but more efficient in terms of useful power. This extra muscle allows him to generate more watts in short and violent efforts — key in Flanders or Roubaix — without losing the ability to climb when the calendar shifts towards stage races.

What is really relevant is not the specific fact that he weighs one or two kilos more in spring, but the complete strategy. Pogacar does not maintain a static physical form throughout the season and modifies his body according to the competition block.

First, he builds muscle for the classics, accepts that slight weight gain, and uses it as an advantage in explosive efforts. Then, he adjusts gym load and nutrition to fine-tune his performance for stage races, where every gram counts in the high mountains.