"Emotional, honored and incredibly happy": Aleix Espargaro enjoys a special gift from Tadej Pogacar
Cycling
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 as a professional cyclist
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.
Tadej Pogacar's rainbow Colnago is now safely stored in Espargaro's collection
Read also
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Pidcock finished 9th place, 29 minutes down. he is a helluva rider, so gutsy. and he is amazing at all disciplines. but this headline is . . .mij09-11-2026
- I know, watch the video. and listen to her competitors. it was a tricky tacky call at best. WTF is this guy talking about??? my original comment was from the picture it didn't look like anything.mij09-11-2026
- I dunno what you're talking about. you make no sense. MS's competitor and the competitors coach said it was BS. she didn't deviate in a way that relegation should be required. revel LOL. you're so cool, in your own mind.mij09-11-2026
- deviation lol, watch the videomij09-11-2026
- the 'No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines' comment was unfortunately a bit off. didn't you just boast about your principles in the comments section of another article?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - 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
Loading
Excited, honoured and incredibly happy to add the race bike of the greatest cyclist in history to my collection. Thank you @TamauPogi for making it possible! 🫠🙏🏻
Write a comment