"Are my chances best with or without Tadej?" - Tim Wellens on racing with Pogacar; money stance at UAE

Tim Wellens is entering his fourth season with UAE Team Emirates - XRG and remains as motivated as ever. The Belgian, who is now carrying his country's jersey into the new year, has talked about his motivation, goals, racing with Tadej Pogacar and how money is no longer the key factor behind UAE's success in signing riders.

"Now in the classics with the Belgian tricolor... That will be very special. I'm really looking forward to it, because I enjoy wearing this champion's jersey every day," Wellens said in an interview with Wielerflits. This past summer, Wellens won the Belgian road race nationals for the first time in his career, and had the form of his life as he later also showed with a stage win at the Tour de France and three weeks of riding at the absolute top level by the side of Tadej Pogacar in all terrains.

It is a jersey that has boosted Wellens' level further than it had been before, even though the top-level victories have spanned a decade now in the pro peloton. "People also remind me of it during training, just like my stage victory in the recent Tour de France, by the way. I underestimated the effect it has on people. Now I come home and I feel like everyone knows me. People stop me during training to take a picture. That's new to me".

He admits that currently, he is perhaps the most famous he's ever been in Belgium; despite, in the past, having won the Renewi Tour on four occasions, having won at the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España, having won World Tour races and classics such as the GP de Montréal, Tour de Pologne and more...

"The Tour is above all else. Even people who don't follow cycling themselves watch the Tour. Before that stage win, I was much less likely to be recognized or approached on the street. Now when I'm walking around town, it's completely different. It's pleasant for me," he admits.

"A lot of people tell me the Belgian champion's jersey is the most beautiful. I'm proud of that. In the race, it won't change my tactics. I'm more noticeable now, but even without the jersey, they won't let me break away for two minutes."

Living and training in the Monaco area also keeps him sharp, as he not only races with Tadej Pogacar but trains with him often too. His very busy schedule into the spring includes several opportunities where he can take his first win of the season in the Belgian colours.

"I hope to continue the trend of recent years, where I've won at least one race every time. If I could dream, I'd love to win a classic in the tricolor. Of course, I want to do that every year, but now it would be extra special". At Strade Bianche., Milano-Sanremo, Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, his role will be that of a domestique. "Are my chances best with or without Tadej? He had that in the Tour too. It's not that if Tadej is there, I don't have a chance of winning. But okay, it's easier to make my own plans."

He is, of course, full of praise for his teammate, who continues to keep the team at the very top, uncontested by any other team in the current peloton. "Every year, we're amazed by how much better he is than the previous season. I'm especially amazed at how mentally motivated he remains. Just like everyone else, it doesn't come naturally to him".

"He keeps working hard, even though he would still be winning races if he worked a little less hard. But he always remains highly professional and highly motivated. Tadej always says it's very difficult to dedicate 110% to your job all year round. So he does that 90% of the time". However, the work is done successfully, and his quality is such that he is able to undergo challenges that weren't believed to be within reach, opening new doors in pro cycling.

"He's shown what's possible. Back when I rode the Walloon Classics, it was very clear: combining those three days of racing with the Flemish Classics wasn't possible. Tadej is kind of rewriting the rules of how things used to be. It's been a long time since we've seen a Tour de France winner compete in the Classics. Tadej is changing what we think is possible, in a way that's unprecedented."

Wellens feels at home, and has a contract all the way into 2027 for the time being. "For me, that was self-evident, although I'd like to change something. In the past, this team might have paid a lot of salaries because riders weren't keen on coming here. Now it's the other way around. Everyone wants to ride for our team". As had been the case with Visma before, UAE now obtains the negotiation benefits that come from having so many of their riders reach their best level; and also find their own opportunities despite the team being stacked with top talent.

"Even though the salaries aren't as high as everyone thinks. I think it surprises people. It's no longer the case that riders who come here choose the money. Money isn't important to me, anyway," he argues. "I just want to be happy with the team. The older you get, the more you realize that. There's a fantastic atmosphere in the team. Even if everyone weren't riding as well as we do, we'd still get along well. I still feel mentally and physically fresh, despite being the second oldest on the team. At the same time, I don't realize that this year I'm already celebrating my 35th birthday. I feel the same age as my teammates, while António Morgado is actually fifteen years younger."

It is a long career that has spanned several generations, and continues to deliver greatness. Wellens is 34 at the moment, an age in which many pro riders are currently leaving the peloton, but he has no intention of doing so. "Hopefully not. I'd love to keep racing for a long time. But I also think you always realize when the end is near".

But as he says, that is not the case for him. "If it's cold and wet in December, I still enjoy training. I don't have a problem with that. I also don't have a problem with taking risks in the finals when I have to be where I need to be. If you no longer have that hunger for training or are afraid in the peloton, then the end is near. That can happen very quickly. But I don't feel those symptoms yet".