"Emotional, honored and incredibly happy": Aleix Espargaro enjoys a special gift from Tadej Pogacar

There are gifts you appreciate, and others you remember for a lifetime. For Aleix Espargaró, the latest clearly falls into the second category. The former MotoGP rider has added a true cycling gem to his personal collection: a bike used by Tadej Pogacar, finished with the unmistakable rainbow of the world champion.

The piece, a Colnago from the Slovenian himself, now sits in the Catalan’s private museum. He did not hide his excitement at adding such a special item from the rider he considers the greatest of all time.

Aleix himself shared his reaction on social media, underlining the magnitude of the moment:

"Emotional, honored and incredibly happy to add the race bike of the best cyclist in history to my collection. Thank you Tadej Pogacar for making it possible!"

Espargaró has had close ties to cycling for years. After drawing a line under his MotoGP career and completing a stint linked to Lidl-Trek, the Catalan has continued to nurture his passion for the sport, which he rides frequently from his base in Andorra, but where he no longer competes as a professional after a very tough 2025.

In that context, receiving a personal bike from Pogacar — and in world champion colours — carries huge symbolic weight. An exclusive piece that further elevates a collection now enriched with an object directly linked to one of the great names in cycling history.

Aleix Espargaró’s 2025 season as a cyclist marked another step in his adaptation to the pro ranks, combining road races and gravel events while defending the colours of Lidl-Trek. Across the year, the Spaniard gained experience in high-level races, tackling both explosive routes and multi-day events, which allowed him to gauge his progress in varied competitive settings.

One of his main tests came at the Tour of Austria, where he started the first three stages. On the opening day he finished 85th, then improved to 70th on stage 2. He was forced to abandon on stage 3 (DNF), closing his participation in the stage race.

Later in the summer, Espargaró raced the Circuito de Getxo, crossing the line in 57th, adding another one-day classic to his résumé against a strong peloton. The result underlined his ability to complete demanding races on the international road calendar.

In gravel, Aleix Espargaró also showed his versatility. He finished 7th in the UCI-sanctioned Gravel World Series round – the 114 Gravel Race.