"Becoming a teammate of Pogacar is very special" - Rune Herregodts determined to prove himself at UAE Team Emirates
Cycling
UAE Team Emirates have five new faces arriving ahead of the 2025 season. One of those signings is 26-year-old Belgian, Rune Herregodts, who joins on a two year deal from Intermarché - Wanty and the most recent ZLM Tour winner is determined to prove his worth.
"I was flattered that such a big team showed interest," admits Herregodts in conversation with Wieler Revue about the somewhat surprising move to the all-conquering powerhouse of the modern peloton. "Of course I also thought for a moment: I am happy at Intermarché - Wanty and how many chances will I get at such a big team? It was not an easy decision, but UAE Team Emirates means another step up."
"I started cycling more as a cycling fan than it was always my big dream. If you can ride for such a big team... That is very special and I never dared to imagine it," the Belgian time-trial specialist adds, noting also how the obvious lure of riding alongside Tadej Pogacar also helped to make up his mind. "Yes, becoming a teammate of Pogacar is also very special. It would be strange to say that you only go to a team because of one rider. That is not true, but that does not make it any less special."
Having proven himself to be a very capable rider over the last few seasons, adding five victories to his palmares and making a Grand Tour debut at the 2023 Vuelta a Espana (although he abandoned the race on stage 16 ed.), Herregodts is now set to test himself again and by joining a team with arguably the best set up in the entirety of the modern peloton, it wouldn't be at all surprising to see the 26-year-old improve his level greatly over the coming seasons, as many who have joined UAE Team Emirates have similarly done.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment