"He gave me a bit more push for the future" - Tadej Pogacar admits Paul Seixas motivates him to be stronger on the bike

Tadej Pogacar has since 2024 been the undisputed ruler of the world of cycling. A rider that is winning Grand Tours, world titles and monuments left and right can be happy with his position in the sport; but the World Champion knows he must continue improving, specially with the arrival of Paul Seixas to the big scene this year.

Ahead of the Tour de Romandie, Pogacar talked to an Italian-Swiss TV outlet in an extended interview where he shared a lot of insight about his career, mentality and personality on and off the bike. Several topics that are of relevancy, such as how he handles the pressure of being nicknamed the 'record guy' and the responsibility that comes with being on top of the cycling world.

However amongst others, he talked about UAE Team Emirates - XRG, and shared his gratefulness over the work of his teammates which build the base for his success in competition. "I always feel kind of bad for the teammates, because then it's just one guy on the podium. But the work the guys do, for example in Liège, they work much harder for longer than for example me," Pogacar said in an interview with RSI Sport.

"That I just deliver the victory. Maybe in the future I'll realise that it's a more important team, and we will see, after the finish, all the team together on the podium. That would be a good move."

Early in his career, Pogacar benefited from his incredible genetics to succeed in pro cycling, but in 2022 and 2023 he found a stronger rival in Jonas Vingegaard who defeated him twice at the Tour de France. That required a mentality change from the Slovenian, who put on more attention to detail in the years since, changed coaches, and has for the past two and a half seasons turned almost everything he touched into gold.

But that will not last forever. How much it will last is a question no-one has an answer to, but with the rise of Paul Seixas, we could be seeing the next big battle at the head of the Grand Tours. The Frenchman is only 19 years old but has had an incredibly spring featuring wins at Itzulia Basque Country and La Flèche Wallonne; whilst he was second to Pogacar at Strade Bianche and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

La Doyenne sparked a moment of change for Pogacar, who was followed by the Frenchman on the Côte de la Redoute despite an all-out attack. "It was a good sensation riding against Paul. I was afraid that I would be like 'okay he's on my wheel I give up' or whatever, but he pushed me more".

Whilst the Frenchman did crack afterwards, the insane wattages that he has been delivering, including in the Belgian monument, pose a threat to Pogacar's dominance - if not in the short-term, the medium term. It also means other talents such as Seixas may emerge and rise to the top of the sport at an equally small amount of time.

Pogacar praises his new rival and admits that he is a reason for Pogacar to push himself harder to keep his position. "Because I think he's a good kid, very mature for his age, and he's really racing with his heart, with no bullshit. He gave me a bit more push for the future."