"His character has remained the same as before, down to earth" - Tadej Pogacar unchanged by fame & success according to long-time UAE DS
Cycling
There has arguably been no bigger star in the sport of cycling during the 2020s than UAE Team Emirates - XRG's Slovenian spearhead, Tadej Pogacar. Despite all the fame and notoriety brought by three Tour de France victories, a Giro d'Italia and numerous other successes, including a World Championship title, Pogacar is yet to let the success get to his according to long-time DS, Andrej Hauptman.
"His character has remained the same as before, down to earth," explains the 49-year-old Slovenian of his compatriot, in conversation with Sportal. "The way you see him in public is also how he is in private life. But I think that he has matured and progressed, especially in the last two or three years, with experience."
Having known Pogacar for a long time now, Hauptman has seen the reigning world champion develop year on year, not only in a physical capacity either. "From season to season, after certain successes, he believes more in himself, and the races he didn't win may have taught him even more than the races he did win," he explains. "All of this together certainly makes him more experienced, stronger and more mature. The more different situations you experience, the more prepared you are for any surprises."
As for the coming year, the potential of a Vuelta a Espana return lingers, although Hauptman insists that it's too early for any final decisions on the matter just yet. "We first have to see how the season goes," he says. "We'll probably have to wait a little longer. But the team will make the first statement on this, and until then there probably won't be any other statements on this topic."
A much clearer goal for Pogacar in 2025 is the World Championships in Rwanda. "We are all informed that this will be a demanding World Championship, but it will be the same for everyone and I believe that the UCI as the organizer will ensure that any potential health and safety risks are minimized," Hauptman says. "However, it is true that the season is just beginning and that on the one hand the World Championship is still a long way off, but on the other hand it is happening so quickly that we need to think about it now."
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
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parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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