Tadej Pogacar crushes his own KOM at Coll de Rates

Tadej Pogacar has once again demonstrated that even in the middle of December, his engine is still running at full capacity. The reigning world champion has shattered his own KOM on Strava at Coll de Rates, one of the most iconic climbs in cycling on the Costa Blanca, reducing his previous time by 24 seconds, which he had set exactly a year ago.

Tadej Pogacar crushes his own KOM at Coll de Rates and leaves his mark on the Costa Blanca

The leader of UAE Team Emirates-XRG stopped the clock at 11:57 on the official Strava segment, which consists of 6.43 km at an average gradient of 5.5%, with a positive elevation gain of 347 meters. In December 2024, he had already set the record with a time of 12:21, but this time he decided to go one step further.

The ascent was part of a 226-kilometer ride that Pogacar himself titled on Strava as “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.” A session of more than six hours of pedaling, over 4,000 meters of accumulated elevation gain, and an average speed of 36.8 km/h throughout the training.

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Only on Coll de Rates, the Slovenian flew at an average of 32.3 km/h, confirming that the team's winter training camp on the Costa Blanca, usually based between Calpe and Benidorm, is not exactly active tourism.

According to the data and images shared, the climb was practically done as a team time trial, with several teammates supporting Pogačar to launch him at the crucial moment. Cyclists such as Kevin Vermaerke, Florian Vermeersch, Domen Novak, Nils Politt, and Pavel Sivakov participated in the ride, all of whom are regulars in this type of high-intensity training.

 

 

 

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This “last dance” before closing 2025 also seems to be a pause before returning home for the holidays. Pogacar will officially start his 2026 season at Strade Bianche, followed by Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

The main goal of the year will once again be the Tour de France, where he will seek to match the historic record with a fifth victory, although Pogačar himself has already made it clear that his current obsessions are Roubaix and San Remo, the two Monuments still missing from his palmarès.

And seeing how he is rolling in December on Coll de Rates, it is clear that winter has only stoked the fire.