Tadej Pogačar has been training in Spain this week, and as he urged selfie-hunting fans for patience in his Wednesday ride post on Strava, he also chose to share the ride’s power data. Sharing power data is still rare among pros, so what might motivate arguably the world’s best male cyclist to do this? We spoke to a coach to get some possible answers.
Less than a month out from Tadej Pogačar’s season debut at Strade Bianche, we’ve gained rare insight into his power data while training in Spain.
The world champion went on a mostly flat 132.5km spin from Valencia to Calpe, and according to the ride he uploaded to Strava, he recorded an average weighted power of 307 watts – a gentle zone two outing for Pog, as we discovered on further inspection of the upload.
For a rider who is normally far more secretive, Pogačar’s Strava data from this ride was pretty comprehensive. It shows his power training zones as the following:
- Zone 1: 0–237W
- Zone 2: 238–323W
- Zone 3: 324–387W
- Zone 4: 388–452W
- VO₂ max: 453–516W
- Z6: 517–645W
- Z7: >646W
He also added a photograph of his bike computer showing a maximum power output of 847 watts, an average heart rate of 144 bpm, and a max heart rate of 163 bpm. Pro riders often hesitate to share this type of training data, so why did Pogačar decide to release it to his more than one million followers?
Why would a WorldTour rider share (or not share) power data publicly?
Coach Daniel Coombe from Race Line Coaching explains:
“At elite level, power data is strategic information.
“It reveals physiological capacities (e.g., W/kg at threshold, anaerobic repeatability), tactical patterns, fatigue resistance, and even periodisation phase… withholding protects competitive intelligence, particularly around peak outputs, recovery, and race-specific execution that competitors and performance analysts can reverse-engineer.”
“On the other hand, sharing may support sponsor visibility, fan engagement, and personal brand transparency.”
Perhaps Pogačar’s decision to share this ride’s data was influenced by the outing with the fan who expressed frustration. Sharing some information publicly could have been a way to engage with his audience and provide context for his training.
Is there a disadvantage to sharing power data publicly?
Even with Pogačar sharing ride metrics, there are reasons why most elite riders are cautious. Coombe adds: “In modern cycling, marginal gains are often analytical rather than purely physiological.
“Public files allow rivals to model an athlete’s performance – sustainable power at duration, response under load, and decline across stages. This can inform tactical decisions (e.g., when to attack) and training counter-strategies. Additionally, single maximal efforts can distort public perception of form if divorced from context.”
In other words, sharing can reveal patterns and capabilities that rival teams might analyse to gain a competitive edge – but at the same time, you can either match the numbers or you can’t. Other than Pogacar, arguably the next-most high profile pro we’ve seen sharing power data in recent years is Mathieu Van Der Poel, notably as his 2022 Tour of Flanders victory and that 1000-watt Strade Bianche attack in 2021. No amount of analysis can help a rival keep up with Van Der Poel if they simply aren’t physically capable of unleashing 1,137w for 15 seconds, so what does he have to worry about by sharing that data? Which brings us on to…
How much context is missing from a single ride’s power data?
Coombe says that the answer is substantial:
“Power output without context without training phase, cumulative fatigue, glycogen status, environmental load (heat, altitude), tactical role (domestique vs protected rider), equipment variables, and race dynamics. A file is a data trace. Performance interpretation require profiling and situational awareness. Without that, conclusions are incomplete in my opinion.”
While Pogačar’s training zones give some insight, a single ride tells only part of the story – but it still confirms that he’s incredibly quick! Given Pogačar’s recent form and results, his rivals are going to need more than just his training zone data to topple him in 2026.
For fans, seeing stats like this helps put the impressive abilities of elite cyclists into perspective. While the public can marvel at the numbers, athletes and teams are constantly analysing and comparing. Perhaps Pogačar shared his data because he’s confident in his performance, but personally, I think that it’s primarily to engage with fans given the circumstances of the ride.
3 thoughts on “Why did Tadej Pogačar share his power data on his latest Strava upload? Won’t it help his rivals?”
Given that he’s in the habit of announcing in advance exactly where he’s going to attack, and still leaving everybody floundering when he does it, I’d say letting them see bits and pieces of his power data is neither here nor there.
Other teams could have full access to Pog’s training schedule and resulting data, and the result would still be the same…
what rivals? do you see ANY rivals?