Tadej Pogačar caused a stir when he stormed up the Coll de Rates in south east Spain earlier this year and set the fastest time recorded on Strava. Just a few weeks later, it has been broken, and by a rider not known for his climbing: Victor Campenaerts.
Pogačar's display has perhaps been put into better context by Campenaerts, but the Belgian has underlined his own form as he continues his sea-level altitude camp on the outskirts of Denia.
The Lotto Soudal rider is preparing for the Classics with a long stay the Snycrosfera hotel founded by former pro Alexandr Kolobnev, which has rooms where the atmospheric pressure can be adjusted to simulate the oxygen levels of high altitude.
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In between nights spent at 2000 metres and above, he's training hard at sea level, while testing himself on some of the inland climbs in the region, with Coll de Rates one of the well-known training efforts.
Pogačar notably took the Strava 'KOM' record when he raced young teammate Juan Ayuso up there in a friendly but competitive contest on January 9, setting a time of 24:50 for the full 9.71km version of the climb.
Campenaerts, however, came along at the weekend and knocked 13 seconds out of it. According to his Strava file, he had an average power output of 413 watts and a heart rate of 192bpm as he averaged 23.7km/h up the 6.6 per cent gradient.
"During the climb I went full throttle. When I got to the top, our doctor said I looked more tired than after my world Hour Record," Campenaerts said, according to Het Laatste Nieuws.
However, he was keen to point out that not too many conclusions should be drawn from a single effort on Strava.
"I absolutely do not want to think or say that I am a good climber, let alone a stage racer," he said.
"I analyzed Tadej's effort well and he lost a lot of time on a gravel strip, which he probably didn't know well. There I made the difference and on the steep sections uphill I held up well. I am sure that if Tadej wants, he can certainly take that KOM back, but for a good junior or newbie this will be impossible.
"What's the point of this KOM? Not much. My trainer told me to do 20 kilometers 'all out' twice and then I chose that climb for the second part of the exercise. I had a good time and know that I am in good shape for the Opening Weekend. And the most important thing is that tonight I will go to sleep with a blissful feeling. The mental front is excellent."
