Mathieu van der Poel loses Swiss time trial to Tadej Pogacar by 0.31 seconds

Dutch cyclist Mathieu van der Poel posted a strong individual time trial on Saturday in the Tour of Switzerland, coming within 0.31 seconds of the winning time. Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar edged him out, taking the stage victory by a margin of three‑hundredths of a second.

Pogacar later shared photos from the ride on Instagram, joking that his fiancée Urška Žigart had given him “extra watts.” Van der Poel replied with a humorous GIF, describing himself as the “most sad person in the world” and poking fun at the tiny gap.

Cycling analyst Thijs Zonneveld highlighted Van der Poel’s exceptional cornering ability and power output, noting that his technique, rooted in his cyclo‑cross background, makes his time‑trial performances difficult to replicate. The close contest and the riders’ social‑media exchange have drawn attention from fans and commentators alike.