If you’re 27-years old and someone writes your biography, then you must have done some pretty remarkable stuff, and thus appears this first attempt to understand the Pogačar phenomenon, based on myriad interviews with family, friends, coaches and teammates.
What we learn is that Pogačar is something of a perfect storm of a world-beater. Growing up in Slovenia he was out of the glare that many mercurial youth encounter in countries like Italy, France and Belgium. His preternatural abilities had time to ferment, and so he was already at an insanely high level when he signed his first professional contract.
We also learn that his unique physiognomy, including an off the charts ability to clear lactate, is complemented by a mental clarity and equanimity that put him in a class of his own, even among the sport’s top riders.
This has been the ‘golden generation’ of Slovenian racers (Primož Roglič, Matej Mohorič, Jan Tratnik, and Urška Žigart, e.g.), and Unstoppable gives you a window into the close-knit community that has produced these talents.
Many American fans drifted away from pro cycling in the post-Armstrong years, but riders like Pogačar are winning them back, not only through their superhuman exploits, but also by not being terrible people. There’s a charisma to Pogačar that gives you hope that pro cycling can regain its fanbase here, and books like Unstoppable show the way.
Recommended highly for anyone curious about the sport’s biggest star (obviously), but also for people looking for that way back into pro cycling’s larger, evolving story.
Listen to our deep-dive interview with author Andy McGrath here.