"A Tadej Pogacar appears every 20-30 years" - UAE Team Emirates coach Iñigo San Milán

Tadej Pogacar is close to a one of a kind talent, and without a doubt one of the faces of the emerging generations. His qualities are undeniable and his coach Iñigo San Milán talks of how it is to work with him.

"Surrounded by people who trust me, even when I don't win. The only negative is reading some things in the press that make me feel bad, but it doesn't put pressure on me," Pogacar admit in an interview with TopCycling.pt. "Although it's nice to feel some pressure. Even with you (journalists, ed.) it's good to talk sometimes."

In Spain, preparing for the upcoming season, the Slovenian prepares for another important year where he will aim to win the Tour de France aswell as several races in the spring including the Tour des Flandres and Milano-Sanremo.

He denies that 2022 was a disappointing season after not being able to win the Tour: “One of the best seasons he could imagine," he said. "Second place is not a defeat, I won three stages and the white jersey, throughout the year I won many races, I was close at Milan-Sanremo and the Tour of Flanders. The Tour is not everything, you have to compete all year round”.

However despite many big wins, Pogacar just barely missed out on several others. His fourth and fifth places at Milano-Sanremo and Tour des Flandres respectively saw him perform in classics which used to largely favour other types of riders. Alongside the UAE Tour, Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico and Liège-Bastogne-Liège - all races where he should be a main favourite - those will be ambitious plans for the spring.

“Jonas was very strong on the climbs and in the time trial. He was in perfect shape, he did everything well and so did the team. They were better this time," he commented on his second place at the Tour. 2023 is likely to see a similar battle, however with the scale tilting more towards UAE's side as Jumbo split their forces between the Tour and Giro.

Pogacar's coach Íñigo San Millán admitted that he was heartbroken with the defeat at the Tour. "They must happen because they make the sport bigger. For us UAE it wasn't pretty, I have to guarantee it won't be repeated”.

"Physiologically a Tadej Pogacar appears every 20-30 years, he is the most impressive cyclist I have seen. He's a monster, he's competitive. At the same time he is calm, does not get nervous. In theory, he should have room for advancement.”