"He's experiencing the most relaxed Tour of his life" - Tadej Pogacar's agent insists all is well as UAE leader closes in on fifth yellow jersey
CyclingThursday, 23 July 2026 at 10:01
Tadej Pogacar's agent has poured cold water over speculation that the yellow jersey may be experiencing fatigue or burnout at the Tour de France. In fact, Alex Carera believes that the Slovenian is experiencing his most relaxed edition of the grand tour in his life.
It's been far from an uneventful edition of the Tour as Pogacar picked up four victories so far, but has also seen rival Jonas Vingegaard crash out, been woken up at 5am for a night doping test and scorched in extreme temperatures on week one.
Nonetheless, he remains in yellow and with a commanding lead of over four minutes over Remco Evenepoel. Despite the Belgian beating him on a mountain-top finish and the subsequent time trial, Pogacar's agent isn't concerned.
“He has an incredible feeling with his teammates and the whole team. He's experiencing the most relaxed Tour of his life. He's very happy," Carera told Marca.
Noting a conversation with his top client on Monday's rest day, Carera noted that a riders' pyhsical condition goes a long way towards determining their perspective. Right now, it's plain sailing for Pogacar in his opinion.
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“There are days when you win and days when you lose. It’s part of the sport. He’s very calm. I spoke with him during the rest day and everything is fine,” he said.
“When you’re not physically well, it’s normal to be worried and take every situation more seriously. When you feel good, everything looks different."
One pre-Tour worry was the broken jaw suffered by Urska Zigart, Pogacar's partner, at the Tour de Suisse. Causing family concern, Pogacar tweaked his plans before La Grand Boucle to spend extra time with her.
In turn, she had planned to visit Alpe d'Huez this weekend for the finale mountain stages. However, she'll instead re-join Pogacar in Paris on the final day.
“She wanted to come to Alpe d'Huez , but the logistics were a bit complicated. Now she's fine and will see Tadej in Paris,” Carera confirmed.
Tadej Pogacar
Pogacar faced boos amid success
Pogacar has openly talked about being booed during this edition and it's his talent and clear head that makes it easy for Carera to work with him. His agent insists that his success will inevitably invite marginal criticism.
He added: “It’s not just because of his results, which are incredible. He always has a clear idea and a way of dealing with situations. That makes it much easier to work together.
“When you’re a public figure, you know you can’t please everyone. People are free to write and express their opinions. He can’t change to try to please everyone, because he’ll never succeed. He knows that 90% of the fans applaud him.
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"And those who aren’t applauding him now might do so next time. It’s normal. Often, when someone wins so much, people prefer to support the underdog, the one who starts with fewer chances.”
In an admission about Pogacar's salary and earnings, while Carera didn't give any exact numbers, admitted that 35 percent of his earnings come from personal sponsors.
“Tadej is number one in the world and, of course, he has the highest salary. The difference between him and the second or third-ranked rider is enormous." He added: “65% comes from his salary and 35% from personal sponsors.”
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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