Tadej Pogačar, the world champion cyclist, obliterated his own record on the challenging Coll de Rates climb in Spain, proving he’s in peak form as he prepares for the 2026 season. The Slovenian sensation completed the 6.32km ascent, with an average gradient of 5.5%, in a blistering 11 minutes and 57 seconds on December 19, shaving 24 seconds off his previous best time of 12 minutes and 21 seconds set a year earlier.

Pogačar’s Dominance on Display

The extraordinary feat occurred during a training camp with his UAE Team Emirates-XRG team on the Costa Blanca.

What’s the significance of the Coll de Rates climb? It’s a popular training ground for professional cyclists due to its consistent gradient and challenging profile, making it an ideal benchmark for fitness and performance.

The record-breaking ride was part of a 226km training session named ‘Merry Christmas and happy new year,’ completed alongside teammates Kevin Vermaerke, Florian Vermeersch, Nils Politt, Pavel Sivakov, and Domen Novak. The group maintained an average speed of 36.8 km/h and accumulated 4,203 metres of climbing during the six-hour-plus ride.

A Day of Climbing Records

Pogačar’s dominance wasn’t limited to his KOM on the full Coll de Rates. Earlier that same day, Cedrik Bakke Christophersen of the Unibet Rose Rockets team had briefly held the KOM on a 2km segment, ‘Test coll de rates,’ with a time of 4 minutes and 19 seconds, surpassing Pogačar’s previous record of 4 minutes and 20 seconds. However, Pogačar quickly reclaimed the crown, posting a time of 4 minutes and 6 seconds on the same segment.

The Unibet Rose Rockets team playfully acknowledged Pogačar’s swift response on social media, posting, “That didn’t age well.”

  • Tadej pogačar broke his own KOM record on Coll de Rates with a time of 11:57.
  • He also surpassed a KOM set by Cedrik Bakke Christophersen on a shorter segment of the climb.
  • The record-breaking efforts occurred during a demanding 226km training ride.
  • Pogačar is preparing for a 2026 season that includes targeting major Classics and a fifth tour de France title.

Last week,Pogačar revealed his aspiring racing schedule,which prioritizes the prestigious Monuments – Tour of Flanders,Paris-roubaix,and Liège-Bastogne-Liège – before focusing on stage races leading up to his attempt to secure a historic fifth Tour de France victory.