my brother was ridiculously fit. He certainly wasn't doping. It was a club sport (I think) and he wasn't going to race bikes professionally. He's an Apple VP and could buy and sell pretty much all but the top echelon of those riders.

I remember he rode in a multi-day race in the U.S. that was sort of for everyone who didn't ride in the Tour de France. He finished in the peloton the first couple of days but got dropped the next day and I think he bowed out after that. And the kid was like a machine. He inherited the relative "short" genes from my mother's side and he could hill climb like a mother.

The idea that he'd get dropped in basically a Triple A race blew my mind.

--
"Somewhere in Middle America"

Since everyone is doping (and I thoroughly believe they are), then that's not what's creating the overwhelmingly advantages. Pogacar rides a bike better than anyone on the planet, and maybe better than anyone ever has.

He crushed Jonas on the stage despite Jonas setting a 2+min PR up the Tormalet. Of course, most of the damage was done after that summit.