"He is the best rider in the world, so when he starts, I will sacrifice myself completely" - Tim Wellens looking forward to racing alongside Pogacar in 2023

After riding for Lotto Soudal since 2012, Tim Wellens will be joining UAE Team Emirates in 2023 and the 31-year-old is excited about the new challenge. "I stepped out of my comfort zone because I want to discover new things and win competitions that I never won."

Looking forward to the upcoming season, Wellens plans out his desire to start strong at his new team. "I would like to win a big race, although I'm not going to say which race specifically. Think of the WorldTour, preferably in Belgium... I didn't come to UAE to win another race in Mallorca," he tells In the Leiderstrui. "If I don't belong in a role to win a race, then I sacrifice myself. If I show that I can win, then I don't have to sacrifice myself.'

The main highlight for Wellens in 2023 however will be the chance to ride and race alongside Tadej Pogacar. "If I go to the final with Pogacar, anything can happen," the Belgian explains. "He is the best rider in the world, so when he starts, I will sacrifice myself completely. But I'll get my own chance if he's not here."

According to Wellens, the difference in mindset between Lotto and UAE Team Emirates is the biggest change he's having to get used to after the switch. "With other teams, it is either very quiet or very hard. I already knew that when I signed here and in the end UAE as a team is just very strong. You can say that Pogacar wins races, but the team is very good overall," he says. "I have already asked Pogacar how come he can still sprint so well after a tough race and he said that he never does sprints in training. And yet he is still so explosive."