The experienced Rigoberto Urán, after announcing that 2023 will be his last year in the professional peloton, raised doubts about the differences between contemporary stars like Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel compared to cyclists from the past.
He argued that a transformation in training methods, with a growing emphasis on the importance of watts, has been a crucial factor that has significantly altered the cycling landscape.
“People only look at watts, and no one talks to teammates. Now, everyone accelerates from the first kilometer for many years. There will be cases, but continuing as a professional cyclist beyond 32 years old will be very difficult,” said the cyclist from EF Education-EasyPost, as reported by the Colombian network Antena 2.
Behavior of young cyclists in today’s cycling
He also spoke about the behavior of peloton leaders today compared to when he started racing: “Another aspect that has changed a lot is that before, when you were 20 years old, if you got too close to Cipollini or another star, they would send you to hell.”
“Now, a 20-year-old kid goes to the Tour with the aspiration to win it. I’ve seen a legend like Chris Froome being hit with an elbow by a young rider from a small team. When I started, if you did that, you knew where you would end up.”
“Respect has also been lost because the leaders are 20 years old, and this hierarchy has already changed. There is no global leader; every two years, a new one emerges, and there’s money to protect them,” concluded Urán.