“He’s like Pogacar, everyone loves him” — Brian Holm praises Elia Viviani’s fairytale farewell after world title win
Cycling
It was a farewell that could hardly have been scripted better. After a decade and a half in the professional peloton, Elia Viviani ended his career on the highest possible note: winning the world title in the elimination race at the Track World Championships in Chile.
The 36-year-old Italian delivered a perfect finale that left fans and commentators alike deeply moved. Among them was Eurosport commentator Brian Holm, who openly admitted that the moment brought him to the brink of tears.
“Damn, that was good. It’s one of the most moving things I’ve ever seen. I don’t really know why,” Holm said in the latest episode of podcast Café Eddy in comments gathered by Ekstra Bladet.
Holm tried to explain what made Viviani’s triumph so emotional to watch, making a surprising comparison. “He’s like Pogacar, everyone loves him. He’s a good man. To see him in his very last race become world champion, that’s one of the best things I’ve ever seen on TV,” he added.
Elia Viviani’s professional journey began in 2010 when he joined Liquigas–Doimo, a team that also featured stars like Ivan Basso, Peter Sagan or Vincenzo Nibali. Over the years, he became one of Italy’s most successful and reliable riders, combining success on both the road and the track.
During his professional career, Viviani amassed five stage victories at the Giro d’Italia, three at the Vuelta a España and one at the Tour de France, reaching the impressive number of 90 professional wins.
His greatest road victory arguably came in 2019, when he captured the European Championship title in a flat edition, beating a strong field that included Mark Cavendish, Mads Pedersen or Arnaud Démare.
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Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
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- Indeed! A reluctant gift maybe. Even more reluctant gift from Roglic! Tho I can’t see that Rog would have beaten Ving anyway.Lozza14-11-2026
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- Yeah, good luck getting tv and race organisers like ASO etc to part with their cash!Lozza14-11-2026
- 36 and Ineos have bought a rider on the downward slope. Bring back Dave and Rob who could manage the team. How are Ineos going to win a grand tour with people past their sell by date.paultryan200214-11-2026
- Mmmm would he be making these comments when he was on the richest team when riding. I think not i suspect. If we want money put into the sport we need sponsors who are prepared to put the money in. No disrespect but his team are 2nd or 3rd div in football terms with riders over the hill or 2nd string riders. If i was a sponsor i would be looking at what publicity am i getting back and Tudor really are just making up the numbers really.paultryan200214-11-2026
- I see (elsewhere) that Alaphilippe had more to say than what got relayed in this stub. Me: he was very good early but his latter third trajectory was the pits. His old boss did what he could (huffed and puffed) but Julian couldn't get his greatness back. Sometimes I wonder if crashes that didn't look like much changed the course of the rider.flyer14-11-2026
- I wouldn't classify it as a gift because the nasty consequences of taking it from Sepp would have been great and would persist and he knew it.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. Tratnik's good and Red Bull's better so Tratnik may get what he wants.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. So just saying he wasn't enjoying racing anymore is some kind of explanation? Me saying I don't enjoy his explanation is more explaining than he did.flyer14-11-2026
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