Pogacar's VO2 Max would be the highest of any Tour winner and is close to the known human limit

An analysis by Norwegian professor Ole Kristian Berg published in the scientific journal Journal of Science and Cycling analyzing Tadej Pogacar's performance during the Tour de France states that the Slovenian's VO2max could be well above 90 ml/kg/min, close to the highest figure ever recorded.

7 W/kg and 96 ml/kg/min of VO2max, Pogacar's ingredients for winning the Tour de France

With the tools and knowledge of physiology available today, it is possible, starting from a handful of data accessible to everyone, to calculate a cyclist's performance figures. Although these are estimates based on the cyclist's weight or the pace at which they climb the mountains.

Data that allows us to infer that on the long climbs at the end of stages, with accumulated fatigue, Tadej Pogacar was able to maintain a pace of 6.7 W/Kg, a figure that, in the time trial of Peyragudes, a much shorter effort without prior fatigue, rose to 7 W/Kg. These figures were unimaginable just 10 years ago when to win the Tour de France it was enough to sustain between 6 and 6.2 W/Kg.

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Continuing with the calculations developed by this Norwegian professor, moving those power figures for a man of Tadej Pogacar's physique means that to maintain that climbing pace, about 80 ml/kg/min of oxygen consumption would be needed. Assuming that the climbing pace would be at the values of Critical Power, a figure that defines a repeatable effort of about 40 minutes and that this power is situated at an oxygen consumption value around 85 to 90% of VO2max, it would mean that Tadej Pogacar's maximum oxygen consumption would be around 96 ml/Kg/min, a simply stratospheric value.

As a reference, for a well-trained cyclist who competes regularly and maintains their weight, a good VO2max figure would be around 65 ml/Kg/min. We remind you that VO2max is equivalent to the engine displacement of a car and measures the body's ability to take in oxygen and deliver it to the muscles. It is also worth mentioning that the highest recorded value in a cyclist corresponds to Norwegian Osca Svendsen, who was measured in a stress test in 2012 at 97.5 ml/kg/min.

There is little that can be done in the face of these impressive figures, despite the fact that most current stars like Remco Evenepoel or Jonas Vingegaard also have values that are out of this world and that just a few years ago would have made them absolute dominators of world cycling. However, they have had the misfortune of coinciding in the same era, just as Ocaña or Poulidor had to face Merckx or Anquetil with one of those prodigies that emerge every so often, and in fact, many assert that Tadej Pogacar will be, when he decides to end his career, the best cyclist of all time.