“I’m gone. I’m dead.” – Tadej Pogacar

In the unforgiving theatre of the Tour de France, Tadej Pogacar’s words—“I’m gone. I’m dead.”—once echoed not as a mark of defeat, but as a candid portrait of human limits amidst extraordinary ambition. These words, uttered into UAE Team Emirates’ radio on stage 17 of the 2023 Tour, immortalised a moment where a champion appeared broken. The day marked a decisive shift: Jonas Vingegaard seized control in the Alps, Pogacar cracked on the Col de la Loze, and his challenge for a third Tour title crumbled in public view. Exhausted, outgunned, and emotionally transparent, he admitted to his team and the world that his reserves were spent.

Yet, from that moment of searing honesty, a new narrative was forged—one that would ultimately define Pogacar’s ascent to greatness. In July 2025, Tadej Pogacar crossed the Champs-Élysées for a fourth Tour de France victory. Now, his journey stands as both a study in resilience and a modern case in peak performance under pressure.

The Anatomy of Collapse: 2023’s Pivotal Moment

On that July day in 2023, as the gradients of the Col de la Loze took their toll, Pogacar’s challenge unravelled. His simple phrase, stripped of bravado, revealed the psychological intensity of elite sport: the intersection where preparation, expectation, and adversity collide. This transparency was rare at cycling’s top table; it resonated far beyond fans, reaching anyone familiar with striving, failing, and rebuilding.

This defeat could have marked a plateau, or even decline. Instead, it became an inflection point.

Dominance Forged from Defeat: The 2025 Triumph

Each subsequent season, Pogacar returned more resilient, his approach enriched by the raw lessons of that collapse. By 2025, he had transformed vulnerability into dominance: four Tour wins, relentless aggression in the high mountains, and an expanding place in cycling’s pantheon. No longer defined by that moment of apparent surrender, Pogacar now outpaces all but a handful of legends—Merckx, Hinault, Indurain, and Anquetil—each with five titles, while he stands at four at only 26.

His 2025 campaign was a masterclass in consistency and mental agility, conquering challenges old and new, and defeating Jonas Vingegaard (again runner-up) by over four minutes. On the flooded streets of Paris, Pogacar animated the final stage, attacking on Montmartre and fighting to the end. Where once “I’m dead” spelled defeat, it now formed part of a complex narrative of sustainable winning.

The Person Behind the Quote

Tadej Pogacar is emblematic of the modern champion: emotionally open, tactically fluid, and unrelenting in competition. Emerging from Slovenia, a nation without deep cycling tradition, he redefined what a Grand Tour contender could be—fearless, creative in attack, but also humble in adversity. His candour in defeat, and his exuberance in victory, has earned admiration far beyond cycling.

Theoretical Foundations: Mindset in Elite Performance

Pogacar’s journey draws on the work of leading theorists:

  • Dr. Angela Duckworth popularised the concept of grit—perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Poga?ar’s transformation from that 2023 setback to multiple victories is a literal case study in grit.
  • Carol Dweck’s growth mindset theory posits that the most successful individuals view failure as a foundation for learning and future achievement. Poga?ar’s response to adversity exemplifies this, turning a public breaking point into a launchpad for dominance.
  • Anders Ericsson’s deliberate practice model shows that sustained excellence arises from targeted learning under pressure, not just innate talent. Poga?ar’s technical adaptation and tactical evolution post-2023 align with this framework.

Within sport psychology, these concepts converge: the ability to face a nadir openly, absorb its lessons, and emerge enhanced. Poga?ar’s vulnerability in 2023 did not foreshadow decline—it proved necessary for his enduring dominance.

Enduring Influence

Today, “I’m gone. I’m dead.” is not a footnote to defeat but an icon of perseverance. On the eve of his fourth Tour triumph, it symbolises a truth central to both athletics and leadership: greatness is built on the willingness to confront limits—and to redefine them.

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