The other day, I read an article on Canadian Cycling Magazine Tadej Pogacar is in doubt after his victory in Milan-San Remo. Cycling, like most sports, has a history full of performance-enhancing drugs that cannot and should not be forgotten. Critical thinking is important. Blind faith is not virtue. It never was. However, there is a danger here – a subtle shift in which skepticism becomes the default lens. But neither in sports nor in people’s lives, the past does not always repeat itself. It is known that people change because of the pain of certain behaviors. This realization led me to write this comment and to suggest that extraordinary performance can be seen as a call to understanding rather than just a stimulus to doubt. Ultimately, what we witness in riders like Pogachar is not just physical dominance, but something much less visible and much less understood: mental prowess.
Invisible work
Modern sports have changed. It’s not just about biology or technology; psychology is also important. The question is no longer just: how strong is the athlete? Now we ask: how do they react to pressure? fearand uncertainty? Let’s look at what happened in Milan-San Remo. An accident. Time interval. The moment most riders hesitate, readjust, or give up on a loss. Pogachar himself admitted that without his team he might not have participated in the tournament. And here we get the first hint of something: the ability of a team to sacrifice, to hold each other up. The team’s response may have helped him regain not just his position, but his own confidence. Such confidence is not accidental – it is nurtured. Confidence basically means that there is no reason to fear. Instead of giving up, Pogachar responds specifically:
- He commits despite breaking the plan.
- He attacks – not out of desperation, but out of clarity.
It’s not just about physiology. It is a trained mind that concentrates under pressure. Instead of fear and worry, the guiding question is: What is important now? Top performers don’t overcome doubt. They act with commitment even when there is doubt. They can accept vulnerability. A trained mind does not wait to feel ready. It does not require certainty. Instead, it returns again and again to the chosen mode of existence. For example, accepting failures, never giving up, courage before comfort, etc. The best athletes know that every moment is decisive. This is why elite performance can seem “inefficient” or even “too perfect.” Not because it’s easy. But because the inner voice is trained. It is no longer distracting as fear or doubt – they know how to move with it, overcome it and take charge of themselves.
Problem with doubt as default
Something is lost when we greet every supernatural performance with skepticism. It’s just not sure. We also lose the ability to see human potential. Sports psychologist Scott Kretchmar emphasized that sport at its best is not just about winning. When athletes enter a competition, the main issue is not only who will win, but whether the test will be good or not. There is a mutual commitment to keep this experiment alive. To compete is to strive together. Thus, even if the history of cycling justifies caution, it does not justify closing off the possibility of excellent evolution. If each new level is interpreted only through the past, then the past begins to limit the future. This is in sports as well as in personal development. When we instinctively doubt excellence, it may be worth asking: Is my doubt, in part, a defense? An excuse? How to protect yourself from stress? So the question is not, “Do you believe it?” Instead, ask, “What kind of person behaves this way?” “What kind of focus and dedication is required?” “How to deal with fear?” “What kind of commitment under pressure?” These questions are more difficult and less sensitive. But they are ultimately more valuable. They can inspire others to reach their highest.
Conclusion: Keep both
We should not give up on critical thinking. But we should not stop defining greatness by curiosity. The reduction of greatness is limited to doubt. Blind faith is also limited. I propose a more difficult task. We must suspend judgment. Be open enough to ask questions, but grounded enough to see that human maturity can exceed our expectations. When witnessing greatness, ask not only if it is possible, but what it reveals about the possibility. Do we really know what people are capable of? I don’t think Pogachar knows either. Maybe that’s part of the point. What surprises him is not certainty. It is his willingness to test his limits. In this respect, he is almost the same sports Socrates. He is amazing not because he has the answers, but because he lives with the question. He knows that an untested life is not worth living.
