Defeats against Vingegaard key for Tadej Pogacar's evolution: "It makes you see that you need to work harder"
Cycling
Alex Carera, Tadej Pogacar's agent, talked about his pupil's renewal at UAE Team Emirates, what the future holds for him after his incredible 2024 and the importance Jonas Vingegaard is having in his evolution as a cyclist.
The international peloton's star representative spoke to Marca without denying or affirming that his pupil has gone on to earn 8 million euros a year: "The data is confidential. He did not confirm anything 100%, but if you are the best cyclist in the world, you have to have the best contract in the world. In any case, I have no doubt that there will be riders who will receive a similar amount in the coming seasons".
What he confirms, however, is that his termination clause has increased considerably to a level that is almost prohibitive even for soccer: "Before it was 100 and now it's 200... there's not a big difference. In any case there is no possibility of changing teams. It's like if you write 500 million... if you decide to leave the team it's because you are not happy or if the other party is not happy either. It is very important to understand this point. Because people only think about the amount, but the most important thing is the relationship of trust."
He makes it clear that he has not renewed for money, as he argues that he could have got the same figure outside UAE: "Cycling has changed a lot after the pandemic. First of all, the contracts are very long. Secondly, there are big sponsors now. If you're not happy, for the best rider in the world, it's easy for the agent to look for another team and give him more or less the same money. We come back to the same thing: money is no longer the first priority."
He ends by saying that the defeats he suffered against Jonas Vingegaard in two Tour de France were very important for the Slovenian's evolution: "They were very, very, very important. Because you need the rivals, you need to compete. Jonas beat Tadej twice and that helped him to improve, it makes you see that you need to work harder. We need Pogacar to compete against Remco, against Jonas, against Van der Poel? We are very lucky, because in this era there are a lot of champions with a great mentality."
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
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