17-year-old talent Adrià Pericas on his internship at UAE Team Emirates: "One day you see the biggest stars on television and now you are sitting at the table with Pogacar and Ayuso..."

UAE Team Emirates has its eye on a 17-year-old Catalan promise Adrià Pericas. In any case, Pericas has completed an internship with Tadej Pogacar's team. Where can we know the young Spaniard from? The World Championships in Glasgow, and especially the exploration of the course, where he challenged Mathieu van der Poel on one of the climbs.

A few months later, things are going fast for Pericas, who has completed his first training camp with a WorldTour UAE Team Emirates. "A reward for my good season in 2023 and all the energy I put into it," says the Spanish talent to AS. Did the media wave at the World Championship play a role in the decision to test Pericas at UAE? He himself doesn't think so. "There was a lot of talk about it, but I don't think it was the trigger to come and do an internship here."

"Joxean Matxin has the same manager as me," he says. A certain Ángel Edo arranged for Pericas and Matxin to sit at the table together. "I learned over a few days how the team works and I received a lot of help from Catalan Marc Soler. I was surprised by how everything is organized. Really super professional. One day you see the biggest stars on television and now you are sitting at the table with Pogacar and Ayuso..."

And now? Pericas hopes to have left a good impression, although in 2024 will complete his second junior year with local club Team Torrent-Tadesan-Purito, the training team of former rider Joaquim Rodriguez. In 2025, a step to the UAE-Team Emirates training team that will then be formed is a serious option. "Yes, they count on me. We are in discussions, but nothing has been signed yet. We have to talk about 2025, when I become a U23 rider."