At the Critérium du Dauphiné, Tadej Pogacar impressed with his superiority, taking home the yellow jersey, the green jersey, and three stage wins. The Slovenian was liked by many but not by everyone, and among those who criticized the Slovenian champion is former world champion Philippe Gilbert. The Belgian retired from racing in 2022 after a career rich in success and, a few months later, became a technical commentator and analyst for Eurosport France.

Like a bolt from the blue, yesterday morning on X Gilbert wrote a critical post about Pogacar: with sharp words, he accused the Slovenian champion of lacking humility towards his opponents.

"A few weeks before the Tour, @TamauPogi perhaps makes the first mistake of his career, lacking humility towards his opponents. A youthful error that can be corrected, because I'm sure his natural attitude will soon return and his positive image will be restored."

It's difficult to understand what Gilbert was referring to and why he considered Pogacar lacking in humility. We know for certain that Gilbert followed the Critérium du Dauphiné in person, riding on the motorcycle that followed the race and then analyzing what happened at the end of each day.

Moreover, we must consider that the Belgian raced with many riders who are currently in the peloton, so he knows well the dynamics that develop during a race.

Perhaps Gilbert was referring to the stage ending in Combloux, when after winning the stage solo with a significant advantage over his opponents, Pogacar had said he went fast to be able to watch the finish of the Tour of Switzerland where his girlfriend Urska was racing. Or Gilbert might have been referring to another statement, when the world champion had said he hadn't gone all out because there was absolutely no need to do so, subtly highlighting the inferiority of his opponents.

This is not the first time Gilbert has launched such criticisms, and it's truly difficult to understand the reason for his attitude towards Pogacar. At the moment, however, the only certainty we have is that Pogacar has chosen not to respond to the Belgian's criticism.