In today's Strade Bianche, we saw another dominant performance by Tadej Pogačar, but we also saw a fantastic ride from 19-year-old Paul Seixas, who was able to follow Tadej the longest during his attack over the Monte Sante Marie.
As Seixas looks to close the gap to Tadej over the next years, we can compare the two riders in this decisive moment (what I call the moment of urgency) to see some areas that were possibly part of the separation Tadej was able to get.
1. Line of Sight
The first big thing that stood out to me was how Tadej was focused looking up the road on the climb ahead, while Seixas was looking down more at the road in front of his front wheel. While this sounds like a small difference, I believe looking ahead allows you to choose a better gear, find a better line, stay more relaxed, and possibly go faster as a result.
2. High, High Cadence
While both riders rode at high cadence, Tadej seemed to be even 10 rpm above Seixas, resulting in even more power delivery for likely a lower torque. While this sounds simple, this requires a stronger anchor on the bike through core strength as well as a higher aerobic demand. This also demands more traction on the gravel road, so finding the best line is key.
3. Upper Body Position and Breathing
Finally, I think it's interesting to compare both upper bodies. Tadej visibly has a more open chest in comparison to Seixas's seemingly more closed-up chest. In addition, Tadej appears to be taking deeper diaphragmatic breaths than Seixas. I believe both of these key areas around breathing are due to the way Tadej uses his lats to anchor on the bike to push the pedal stroke.
All three points here could possibly make a small difference, but I believe these are simple things that Seixas can work on to come closer to staying with Tadej in the key selection, the moment of urgency.
