The exceptional success of Tadej Pogačar resonates worldwide and brings additional attention to Slovenia

Published: 22.7.2024

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The exceptional success of Tadej Pogačar resonates worldwide and brings additional attention to Slovenia

The remarkable achievements of Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogačar in this year's cycling season, culminating in his third victory at the world's most epic cycling race, the Tour de France, last weekend, are resonating in global media. Pogačar is currently the king of cycling, and special recognition goes to the passionate Slovenian fans who created an unforgettable scene with a sea of Slovenian flags and cheering. Posts mentioning Tadej Pogačar on social media have reached over 372 million users.

The exceptional success of Tadej Pogačar resonates worldwide and brings additional attention to Slovenia

Slovenia is considered a cycling powerhouse thanks to the historic success of Tadej Pogačar. Global impact is evidenced by social media numbers: posts mentioning Tadej Pogačar have reached over 372 million users, according to data from the tool Brand24. These data also show that there have been over 48,000 mentions of Tadej Pogačar and more than 2.4 million interactions with the posts.

The Slovenian Tourist Board (STB) was also actively communicating on social media during the race, preparing more than 120 posts in total. These generated over 827,000 post impressions and more than 51,000 user interactions. On the website slovenia.info, content related to stories about Tadej Pogačar, Primož Roglič, and the Tour de France was extremely popular. In the past month, there have been more than 18,000 page views, with most visitors coming from France, Italy, and Germany.

Read the story about Tadej Pogačar.

Pogačar Writes Slovenia into the History of World Sports

In the homelands of world cycling, Italy and France, which are also among the most important markets for Slovenian tourism, Pogačar graced practically all the headlines with his victories in both the Italian and French tours, and his success has been reported by virtually all global media. For the first time in 45 years, a cyclist has won six stage victories in the Tour de France, and for the first time in 26 years, he has won the two biggest three-week races in the same year, thus claiming the pink jersey of the Giro and the yellow jersey of the Tour.

In addition to his sporting achievements, the media highlight Pogačar’s character, accessibility, and simplicity, qualities that distinguish a top champion. The media are impressed by his detailed explanations of each attack in a stage and his modest view of his successes.

Other Slovenian cyclists also garnered attention during the race: Matej Mohorič, Luka Mezgec, and Jan Tratnik. Despite withdrawing due to a fall, Primož Roglič remained a key figure in the commentators' mentions, and Tadej Pogačar highlighted him as a major competitor in his victory speech. In interviews after the stages in the final week, Mezgec and Mohorič emphasized the surprise of the French tour: the masses of Slovenian fans, who created a Slovenian-themed backdrop and provided additional motivation, reminiscent of the football euphoria in Germany.

The Tour de France with Historic Achievements

The 111th edition of the French tour, one of the most notable and prestigious sporting events in the world, started in Italy and concluded in Nice due to the Olympic Games in Paris, featuring achievements that will resonate for years. Pogačar’s records were made alongside Eritrean cyclist Biniam Girmay, who became the first African to win the green jersey for the best sprinter at the Tour, and Sir Mark Cavendish KBE, who, with his 35th stage win, climbed to the top of the all-time winners' list with the most victories on the Tour de France.

Slovenian cycling ace Tadej Pogačar will celebrate his historic victory with fans at home. On Wednesday, July 24, 2024, at 6 PM, there will be a reception in Ljubljana at Congress Square. Two hours later, at 8 PM, a celebration will take place in his hometown, Komenda.

Cover photo: Alen Milavec; creative execution: Nina Kurnik.

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Global public relations and Marketing
e-mail address: press(at)slovenia.info

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